Bi-Regional Cooperation: H.M. King Felipe VI Welcomes the 15th meeting of the EuroLat Assembly in Madrid from 24th to 27th July, 2023

Bi-Regional Cooperation: H.M. King Felipe VI Welcomes the 15th meeting of the EuroLat Assembly in Madrid from 24th to 27th July, 2023 © European Parliament (2023)

(IN BRIEF) The Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EuroLat) is set to hold its fifteenth meeting in Madrid from 24th to 27th July. The gathering will bring together 75 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and 75 representatives from Latin American and Caribbean parliaments to foster bi-regional dialogue. The event follows the recent summit in Brussels, where EU and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) leaders convened. Participants at the EuroLat Assembly will evaluate the summit’s outcomes, addressing critical topics such as hate speech, digital platform regulation, COVID-19’s impact on education and health, access to water, organized crime, trade negotiations, and the rights of nature. H.M. King Felipe VI will welcome attendees, and the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, is expected to give the opening speech. The closing session will feature a keynote speech by the acting Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares. The assembly represents the parliamentary institution of the Bi-Regional Strategic Partnership between the EU and Latin America/Caribbean.

(PRESS RELEASE) MADRID, 21-Jul-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — The Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EuroLat) will convene its fifteenth meeting in Madrid from 24th to 27th July, marking a significant step in advancing bi-regional dialogue. The event will kick off with a warm welcome from H.M. King Felipe VI on Monday.

Following the 17-18 July summit in Brussels, where leaders of the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) gathered, EuroLat’s 150 members, including 75 MEPs and 75 representatives from Latin American and Caribbean parliaments, will convene in Madrid to assess the summit’s outcomes and conclusions—the first such gathering since 2015.

Welcome Ceremony at Palace of El Pardo

H.M. King Felipe VI will receive participants at the Palace of El Pardo on Monday, 24 July, at 17:30. Accredited journalists interested in covering this meeting can send their requests to comunicacion@casareal.es.

Agenda and Information for Journalists

The EuroLat Assembly will take place at the seat of the Spanish Senate.

The inauguration will commence with a scheduled opening speech by President of the Government of Spain Pedro Sánchez (TBC) on Wednesday, 26 July, at 11:15. Subsequent statements will be delivered by President of the Senate, Ander Gil, President of the Congress of Deputies, Meritxell Batet, and the Co-Chairs of EuroLat, MEP Javi López (S&D, ES), and Colombian congressman Óscar Darío Pérez.

A press conference will follow at 13:30 in the Hall of Lost Steps of the Senate, which will be webstreamed exclusively in Spanish at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xg8MIBqs9s. Journalists intending to participate in the press conference and cover the EuroLat Assembly must register with the Spanish Senate by writing to acreditaciones.prensa@senado.es. The registration should include full name, ID or passport number, the media represented, and the sessions planned to attend. Accreditation can be collected at the entrance to the Senate in Bailén Street.

EuroLat Plenary Session

On Thursday, 27 July, the EuroLat plenary session will convene to discuss and vote on reports and recommendations prepared by various committees and working groups during the preceding day, Tuesday, 25 July. Topics of discussion will encompass vital issues such as combating hate speech, regulating digital platforms, addressing challenges posed by COVID-19 in education and health, ensuring access to water, fighting organized crime, trade negotiations, and advocating for the universal declaration of the rights of nature.

Closing Session

The closing session, scheduled for Thursday at 13:30, will feature a keynote speech by the acting Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares. Additional interventions will be delivered by President of the Senate, Ander Gil, and EuroLat Co-Chairs López and newly elected Amado Cerrud, with a focus on the Latin American component of the Assembly.

Background

Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EuroLat) represents the parliamentary institution of the Bi-Regional Strategic Partnership between the European Union, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It convenes in a plenary session once a year, with the last session held in April 2022 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Assembly comprises 150 members, including representatives from Parlatino (Latin American Parliament), Parlandino (Andean Parliament), Parlacen (Central American Parliament), Parlasur (Mercosur Parliament), and joint parliamentary committees of Chile and Mexico.

Media contacts:

Eugenio DIAZ LLABATA
Press Officer in Spain
+34 914 364 752
eugenio.diazLlabata@europarl.europa.eu

SOURCE: THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT