CAF and Spain to organize historic meeting of finance ministers from EU and Latin America and the Caribbean

Press release by the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF)

This is a machine translation of the original release, issued in Spanish

• From September 11 to 15, CAF- development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean - organizes a series of high-level events in Spain to promote commercial, economic and financial relations between the EU and the region.
• The highlight will be the first meeting of EU and CELAC finance ministers, on September 15 in Santiago de Compostela, which will address topics such as the green transition, digital transformation and human development.

(Madrid, September 11, 2023). Within the framework of the Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) during the second half of 2023, CAF will organize a series of activities this week to promote EU-Latin America and the Caribbean relations and land European investment plans (channeled through the Global Gateway) to the realities of Latin American and Caribbean countries.

On Tuesday, September 12, CAF will present a new edition of the Economy and Development Report “Global challenges, regional solutions: Latin America and the Caribbean facing the climate and biodiversity crisis” at the IE University in Madrid. The presentation will address the challenges of Latin America and the Caribbean in terms of preserving ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as adaptation and mitigation in the face of climate change.

On Wednesday, September 13, the CAF Conference, “European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean: a joint agenda for development” will take place at the Casa de América in Madrid, in which the Executive President of CAF, Sergio Díaz-Granados, will participate; Nadia Calviño, First Vice President and Minister of Economy and Digital Transformation, the Colombian singer-songwriter Carlos Vives; Teresa Ribera, Third Vice President and Minister of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Azucena Arbeleche, Minister of Economy and Finance, Uruguay or Ricardo Bonilla, Minister of Finance and Public Credit, Colombia.

On Thursday, September 14, CAF will hold its board meeting in Santiago de Compostela, which will be attended by Nadia Calviño. During the Board of Directors, credit operations will be approved in favor of the sustainable development of the countries of the region.

ECOFIN - CELAC Summit

On Friday the 15th, in Santiago de Compostela, the first meeting between ECOFIN and CELAC will be held, in which essential issues for relations between Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union will be addressed, such as sustainable development, the transition towards a green economy, the importance of digitalization and human development.

This meeting demonstrates the new drive to strengthen historic ties based on trade, cooperation, peace and sustainability, and represents a great opportunity to jointly face the global challenges of the coming decades.

Organized by Spain and CAF, the meeting will promote a renewed EU investment agenda in the region, advanced in July at the EU-CELAC Business Summit of Heads of State . With 60 Finance Ministers from both sides of the Atlantic, it is a crucial forum to design strategies to overcome socioeconomic gaps in the region, accelerate the green transition and strengthen regional integration.