The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, addressed the annual Ibero-American Free Zones Assembly, which opened in Cádiz on Monday, and called for a strategic awakening of a Europe that speaks with its own voice and works hand in hand with Latin America and the Caribbean, “because only through multilateralism can the world move towards progress”.
The Assembly, organised by the Association of Free Zones of the Americas (AZFA) and the Cádiz Free Zone Consortium, provides a forum for cooperation, knowledge exchange and the creation of opportunities among free zones, institutions, businesses, universities and specialists from Europe and Ibero-America.
Strategic awakening
In his address, the Minister recalled that Europe must pursue genuine sovereignty that allows it to avoid dependence on third parties in strategic areas and to be independent in its decision-making, capable of taking action and determined to defend its values and interests. He stressed that it must do so in cooperation and partnership with other regions, diversifying its economic and trade partnerships, as has been done this year with India and Mercosur.
“In this European strategic awakening, as Europe speaks with its own voice and always brings reason, diplomacy, dialogue and negotiation to the table, we want to work hand in hand with Latin America and the Caribbean, because only through multilateralism can the world move towards progress,” Albares reiterated.
Madrid Summit
This Assembly is taking place at a particularly important time for relations with Latin America and the Caribbean, one week before the Ibero-American Summit to be held in Madrid on 4 and 5 November.
The Minister described it as a Summit “that will strengthen the Ibero-American Community, an essential instrument for all of us, particularly in a geopolitical context as complex and uncertain as the present one. A community that offers us a space for dialogue, cooperation and trust, capable of providing stability and certainty in turbulent times, but also of delivering very tangible improvements in the lives of the millions of citizens who belong to it. A community that demonstrates, once again, that there is far more that unites us, and that many opportunities arise when we Ibero-Americans work together.”
The ocean that unites us
Under the theme “The Ocean That Unites Us”, this year’s event seeks to strengthen partnerships on both sides of the Atlantic and promote Cádiz as a connecting point between the two continents. It has brought together representatives of 53 organisations from 20 countries and territories (Spain, Colombia, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Panama, Honduras, Curaçao, Guatemala, Cuba, Paraguay, Afghanistan, Uruguay, Aruba, El Salvador, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Haiti and Peru).
The discussions taking place between 26 and 28 October will focus on the exchange of experiences, economic challenges, attracting investment, conserving resources, transforming research into business activity, competitiveness and transatlantic cooperation.
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—NON OFFICIAL TRANSLATION—