With an official ceremony at the Hamburg City Hall, the European Union-Latin America and Caribbean (EU-LAC) Foundation has been formally inaugurated, marking a milestone in bi-regional relations. The foundation, which aims to strengthen ties between the two regions, thus begins its work as a catalyst for bi-regional dialogue and cooperation.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by prominent personalities, including the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Guido Westerwelle; the First Mayor of Hamburg, Olaf Scholz; the President of the EU-LAC Foundation, Dr. Benita Ferrero-Waldner; and the Executive Director, Ambassador Jorge Valdez Carrillo.
Dr. Benita Ferrero-Waldner underlined the Foundation's commitment to strengthening bi-regional understanding: ‘We want the Foundation to be a real bridge of dialogue and cooperation between our regions, where ideas meet and alliances are built.
The EU-LAC Foundation was established by the Heads of State and Government of the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in 2010. Its members are the EU and CELAC countries and the EU itself. The Foundation is a tool of the EU-CELAC partnership and its activities nurture intergovernmental dialogue.