Just two months before the upcoming CELAC–EU Summit in Colombia, experts, leaders of research and policy institutes, and analysts from the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in Copenhagen to assess the present and future of the bi-regional relationship in the midst of a shifting global dynamic.
The EU–LAC Think Tanks Meeting sought to put forward fresh ideas and recommendations to strengthen ties between the two regions. The event was organised by the EU–LAC Foundation together with Fundación Carolina, the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), the University of Copenhagen, the Jacques Delors Institute and IE University, with the support of the Embassy of Colombia in Denmark.
At the opening of the meeting, Denmark’s State Secretary for Foreign Policy, Lotte Machon, stressed that now more than ever is the time to harness the potential of relations between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean, and to show the world how both regions “are and always will be close and equal partners, united not only by history and values, but also by shared interests”.
For his part, Alberto Brunori, Executive Director of the EU–LAC Foundation, underlined that think tanks and research centres play a strategic role by helping decision-makers to design, implement and adapt informed, inclusive and sustainable public policies and cooperation instruments. He also emphasised that meetings such as this foster greater mutual understanding and generate common visions and genuine momentum for bi-regional cooperation.
Likewise, the Colombian Ambassador to Denmark, Catalina Velasco, highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for horizontal exchange between key actors from both regions in order to facilitate contributions to the Santa Marta Summit.
The event featured a keynote lecture entitled “Resilient Societies, Markets and Institutions in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean in the Current Geopolitical Context” by former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta. His address underscored both the risks facing the international system and the opportunities for the bi-regional partnership.
Letta warned that the principles underpinning international relations are under attack, foremost among them the rules-based international order. In this context, the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean have a crucial role to play, as both regions share a strong commitment to multilateralism and international organisations.
He stressed that the forthcoming Santa Marta Summit will not be just another meeting. It represents a historic opportunity to place the relationship between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean at the heart of global affairs, defending the values, rights, achievements and institutions essential to the international order.
The agenda of the EU–LAC Think Tanks Meeting combined a public dialogue with closed working sessions in which academics and specialists from both regions examined key issues such as bi-regional cooperation on trade and investment; the promotion of multilateralism and a rules-based international order; and the advancement of peace and security, democracy and human rights.
This event forms part of the EU–LAC Foundation’s roadmap towards the IV EU–CELAC Summit, which will bring together Heads of State and Government in Santa Marta, Colombia, on 9–10 November 2025. The outcomes of the discussions will be compiled in a synthesis report with concrete recommendations, to be presented to political actors and decision-makers in both regions. This report will serve as input for the preparations for the Summit.
