CELAC-EU Summit: Opening speech by High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas
European External Action Service (EEAS)
09.11.2025
Santa Marta
EEAS Press Team
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Dear President Petro,
Thank you for hosting us.
Dear President Orsi,
Dear President Costa,
Dear Heads of State and Government, Ministers,
Our regions are natural partners. We speak each other's languages. We cheer on each other's football teams. We are home to cities of murals and music.
But most importantly, we share a set of common values: a belief in democracy, a commitment to the rules-based international order, and respect for international law.
Two years ago, our historic summit marked a turning point for our two regions. We announced an ambitious investment agenda, joined forces on clean growth and commitment to ongoing dialogue.
During this time, our ties have grown stronger. But the world has also changed. It has grown harsher, more competitive, and more volatile. And we see that security and prosperity require diversification. We all need trusted, reliable partners.
With this summit, we deepen our partnership and show that we are not just natural partners but we are partners of choice.
I want to focus on three shared priorities.
First, trade and investment.
Our two regions are connected by a dense network of trade agreements. In 2023, €410 billion of goods and services flowed between our regions. The European Union is the largest investor in your region.
At the same time, around the world, we see a turn inward, towards isolationism. But we cannot close ourselves up. On the contrary. In these times, we need to open ourselves to others.
European position is clear: We will remain a stable, predictable, and principled trade partner for CELAC.
We are proud of our strong network of agreements. We are working to finalise the agreement with Mercosur and update our agreement with Mexico. And we are expanding our investments. Because these partnerships benefit us both.
Take critical raw materials for example. We are committed to building value chains that are truly local. This creates jobs locally. The Global Gateway programme is at the heart of our investment strategy.
Two years ago, we committed €45 billion to this region by 2027. And we have already mobilised €31 billion in the last three years, over 100 projects are underway. From green hydrogen in Brazil, to sargassum in the Caribbean, to sustainable transport in Costa Rica.
We are also doubling down on the digital transition. Two years ago, we launched the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, to expand connectivity across the region.
But we know there is still more to do. That is why Europe will expand our support for shared satellite infrastructure.
So that every community, no matter how remote, can get online. And so that you control your digital sovereignty.
But the ability to succeed in the digital economy depends on computing power. You cannot compete if you cannot compute. So I can announce today a new EU-LAC Supercomputing Network. This is a shared network of resources and investments across our two regions.
My second point is the clean transition.
We are meeting right before the COP30 negotiation start. President von der Leyen was in Belem this week. We have already made enormous progress on our climate targets: a decade ago, we were headed for 3.7 degrees Celsius of warming. Now, that projection is below 3, the EU has just adopted its NDC - nationally determined contribution - for 2035. 66-72% in Green House Gas reduction by 2035 from to 1990, this is a milestone on our path to reaching climate neutrality by 2050. And to keeping the Paris goals within reach, and for the first time, renewables have overtaken coal as the world's leading electricity source.
But the destructive effects of climate change are already here.
The devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa just days ago was yet another stark reminder. Europe joined emergency efforts sending essentials like water, shelter, and medical supplies. But we must also address the root cause and accelerate our efforts against climate changes.
Latin America and the Caribbean are setting the pace. Your solar and wind resources are among the strongest in the world. Renewables make up 65% of your electricity generation.
Today, I am proud that we will give support to the regional electricity integration initiative. This is the path toward cleaner power and greater energy security.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The last point I want to raise today is the security of our citizens. Here too, we share a set of concerns: organised crime, maritime security, and cyber security.
By working together, we can do more to make our citizens safer: we will increase our support for existing programmes and step up our coordination between Europol and your law enforcement agencies. And I am pleased to announce that we will expand the EU's Critical Maritime Routes programme to the entire region. This will strengthen how we share information and act together to stop crime at sea.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We are connected by our shared opportunities. As Octavio Paz, the Mexican poet and diplomat, once wrote: "Friendship is born from the coincidence in ideas, feelings, and interests." And indeed, this is our moment, to turn interests into greater progress and build greater friendships.
Thank you.
Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/media/video/I-280359
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