00:00Calla Callas.
00:03Dear President Petro, thank you for hosting us.
00:07Dear President Costa, dear heads of state and government,
00:11dear ministers, good colleagues.
00:14Our regions are natural partners.
00:16We speak each other's languages.
00:18We cheer on each other's football teams.
00:22We are home to cities of murals and music.
00:25But most importantly, we share the set of common values.
00:30A belief in democracy, commitment to the rules-based international order
00:36and respect of the international law.
00:40Two years ago, our historic summit marked the turning point of our two regions.
00:47We announced an ambitious investment agenda,
00:50joined forces in clean growth and commitment to ongoing dialogue.
00:55During this time, our ties have grown stronger, but the world has also changed.
01:01It has grown harsher, more competitive and more volatile.
01:08And we see that security and prosperity require diversification.
01:14We all need trusted, reliable partners.
01:17With this summit, we deepen our partnership and show that we are not just natural partners,
01:24but we are partners of choice.
01:27I want to focus on three shared priorities.
01:30First, trade and investment.
01:33Our two regions are connected by a dense network of trade agreements.
01:37In 2023, 410 billion euros of goods and services flowed between our two regions.
01:46The European Union is the largest investor in our region, in your region.
01:51At the same time, around the world, we see a turn inward towards isolationism.
01:59But we cannot close ourselves up.
02:02On the contrary, in these times, we need to open ourselves to others.
02:07The European position is very clear.
02:10We will remain a stable, predictable and principled trade partner for CELAC.
02:16We are proud of our strong network of agreements.
02:21We are working to finalize the agreement with Mercosur and update our agreement with Mexico.
02:28And we are expanding our investments because these partnerships benefit us both.
02:36Take critical raw materials, for example.
02:39We are committed to building value chains that are truly local.
02:43This creates jobs locally.
02:46The Global Gateway Program is at the heart of our investment strategy.
02:51Two years ago, we committed 45 billion euros to this region by 2027.
02:58And we have already mobilized 31 billion euros in the last three years.
03:04Over 100 projects are underway.
03:07From green hydrogen in Brazil to sargassum in the Caribbean
03:11to sustainable transport in Costa Rica.
03:15We are also doubling down on the digital transition.
03:18Two years ago, we launched the EU-LUG Digital Alliance to expand connectivity across the region.
03:26But we know there is still more to do.
03:29That is why Europe will expand our support for shared satellite infrastructure,
03:35so that every community, no matter how remote, can get online.
03:41And so that you control your digital sovereignty.
03:45But the ability to succeed in the digital economy depends on computing power.
03:51You cannot compete if you cannot compute.
03:55So I can announce today a new EU-LUG, a supercomputing network.
04:00This is a shared network of resources and investments across our two regions.
04:05My second point is clean transition.
04:08We are meeting right before the COP-13 negotiations start.
04:14President von der Leyen was in Belém this week.
04:17We have already made enormous progress on our climate targets.
04:22A decade ago, we were headed for 3.7 degrees Celsius of warming.
04:28Now the projection is below 3.
04:31The EU has just adopted its NDC for 2035.
04:3666% to 72% in greenhouse gas reduction by 2035 from 1990.
04:46And this is a milestone on our path to reaching climate neutrality by 2050
04:52and to keeping the Paris coals within reach.
04:56And for the first time, renewables have overtaken coal as the world's leading electricity source.
05:03But the destructive effects of climate change are already here.
05:08The devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa just days ago was yet another stark reminder.
05:14Europe joined emergency efforts sending essentials like water, shelter and medical supplies.
05:21But we must also address the root cause and accelerate our efforts against climate change.
05:27Latin America and the Caribbean are setting the pace.
05:32Your solar and wind resources are amongst the strongest in the world.
05:38Renewables make up 65% of your electricity generation.
05:43Today, I'm proud that we will give support to the regional electricity integration initiative.
05:48And this is the path towards a cleaner power and greater energy security.
05:55Ladies and gentlemen, the last point I want to raise today is the security of our citizens.
06:02Here, too, we share a set of concerns.
06:05Organized crime, maritime security and cyber security.
06:10By working together, we can do more to make our citizens safer.
06:15We will increase our support for existing programs and step up our coordination between Europol and your law enforcement agencies.
06:26And I'm pleased to announce that we will expand the EU's critical maritime routes program to the entire region.
06:33This will strengthen how we share information and act together to stop crime at sea.
06:38Ladies and gentlemen, we are connected by our shared opportunities.
06:45As Octavio Paz, the Mexican poet and diplomat, once wrote,
06:49Friendship is born from the coincidence in ideas, feelings and interests.
06:56And indeed, this is our moment to turn interest into greater progress and build greater friendships.
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