Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-04-23-Speech-3-010"
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"en.20080423.2.3-010"2
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"Mr President, distinguished empty Chamber, ladies and gentlemen, on 16 and 17 May the heads of state and government of the European Union and the Latin American countries will meet in Lima. That will be an opportunity for them to achieve an historic breakthrough in the bi-regional dialogue between Europe and Latin America and develop a new dimension in relations between our two continents.
One third of the member states of the United Nations are European and Latin American countries. That figure alone should indicate to the Europeans that the transatlantic relationship means more than just Europe's relations with the United States of America. Transatlantic relations mean Europe and Latin America, above all! On almost all the important issues that we debate in this House, the Latin American countries' views dovetail with those of the European Union.
In our resolution, we talk about our ideas on social cohesion, and these ideas are shared in their entirety by all the Latin American governments, whether they are led by the right or the left. We talk about the measures that are essential to protect the environment and the climate, and this meets with great resonance on the Latin American side. Let me point out in passing that none of the climate goals – not one – can be achieved unless the Latin American countries are on board with us.
When we talk about the reform of the international institutions, the reform of the United Nations, about Security Council reform, when we Europeans talk about multilateral policies being the solution to conflicts in the 21st century, all our Latin American partners give us wholehearted support. When we talk about the need to reform the financial systems and bring the international financial markets under control, then nowhere do we meet with greater understanding than in Latin America. Speak to any Argentine politician, whether from the left or the right, and they will tell you exactly what havoc international finance policy can wreak in a country!
When we talk about the food crisis, as we did yesterday, and about the increasing scarcity of food and farmland for food-growing as a result of the production of biomass, and how this is a consequence of environmental policy, we should talk to the Brazilians, and to Latin American politicians. We will find a clear focus on these problems. The increasing scarcity of food is causing price rises and hitting our consumers hard, but they are hitting consumers in Latin America even harder. Nowhere is there stronger backing for Europe, and stronger resonance when it comes to solving current problems, than in Latin America.
In Vienna, at the last Summit, Chancellor Schüssel, as the then President of the Council, said: 'It was marvellous, everyone was able to talk to each other!' That is great, but we cannot afford that to be the only outcome in Lima. We must now achieve tangible agreements with Mercosur, with the Andean Community and with the Central American countries and bring the negotiations to a conclusion.
I do not want to draw a veil over the many problems which exist and which have to be resolved; these have to be addressed as well. What are we going to do about Cuba? Do we want to maintain the sanctions for much longer? The vast majority of the EU Member States want to lift these useless sanctions. There are some who are not in favour, however. What is interesting is that some of the countries which do not want to lift the sanctions are, nonetheless, massively expanding their trade relations with Cuba at present. That will be hard to explain to anyone in the long run. Let us put an end to this policy. Let us remember that bringing about change by fostering closer relations is always a better approach than the isolation championed by George W. Bush.
Of course, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra is right to say that FARC must release the hostages. Colombia, as a country, is a hostage to terrorism, more than any other, and Ingrid Betancourt must be released, and all the other hostages must be released as well.
Relations between the European Union and Latin America could be the key to cooperation between two major world regions. Making the world a more peaceful place, adapting its institutions to the needs of the 21
century, tackling environmental and food problems, developing better financial controls: all these issues are on the agenda in Lima. My Group attaches great importance to encouraging the European Parliament to give far more priority to this policy in future than we have done in the past."@en1
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