Spanish Head of Government To Host EU-CELAC Summit

The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, announced on Wednesday in Colombia, hours before traveling to Ecuador, that he wishes to take advantage of the moment when Spain holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union to hold a summit between the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

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During a meeting with representatives of some 850 Spanish and Colombian companies held in the Latin American nation's capital, Bogota, Sanchez said that this summit would help strengthen the ties that unite the EU with Latin America and the Caribbean based on dignity and respect.

Spain will assume the presidency of the EU Council during the second half of 2023. According to press media, such a summit has not been convened since 2015. The Spanish head of government added that his nation "will continue to be the great defender of Latin American interests in the European Union for many years" and said the meeting between the two regions would be successful.

In an interview with a local radio station, Sánchez said he would inform the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, that Spain could host peace talks between his government and the National Liberation Army (ELN).

The head of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, announced that he will promote a summit between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) for the second half of 2023.

"We offer ourselves to the Colombian government to help in everything that I think is common sense to achieve peace, and therefore, if Spain can host these peace talks, Spain would be willing and offered to host them," he said.

Sanchez and Petro met on Wednesday at the Casa de Nariño. They then offered statements to the press when Petro said that he would transfer the proposal to the ELN delegation in Cuba, and the final decision would be made by consensus.

He specified: "If the Kingdom of Spain is a guarantor and if the parties so decide, I would be delighted."