Santiago, 24 March 2022 (TDI): The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile, Antonia Urrejola met EU delegates to discuss relations on Wednesday. This was the first official meeting between the Chilean and the European Union authorities.
The Foreign Minister remarked at the beginning of the meeting, “I am very pleased to address you at this meeting, the first collective instance we have.
Ministra Antonia Urrejola en reunión con representantes de la UE en Chile: “Esperamos una muy pronta suscripción de nuestro Acuerdo de Asociación”
Más información del encuentro aquí👉https://t.co/9u69FKEMcn pic.twitter.com/dcn9Iv0dNs
— Cancillería Chile 🇨🇱 (@Minrel_Chile) March 23, 2022
She went on to say that “we can get to know each other and exchange points of view on relations between the European Union and Chile”. The Head of Delegation of the European Union to Chile, León de la Torre, the meeting.
Likewise, the Ambassadors of several EU countries in Chile attended the meeting. Moreover, the Undersecretary for Foreign Relations, Ximena Fuentes, and the Undersecretary for International Economic Relations, José Miguel Ahumada, was also present at the event.
The Association Agreement between Chile and the EU is in its final stages. The Foreign Minister expressed hope that it will be signed soon.
She said, “We firmly believe and expect a very soon signing of our Association Agreement, an instrument that has implications that go beyond trade, as it means support for a country with which the EU converges on values and principles, in addition to strengthening the role of the EU as a relevant global actor”.
She further expressed willingness to maintain “fluid communication and collaboration” with the EU and EU member states. The Chilean and EU officials highlighted the shared values driving their respective policies.
These values include respect for democracy and human rights, the rule of law, individual freedoms, the defense and promotion of multilateralism and free trade, as well as concern about climate change.
The Secretary of State stressed the value of international security and peace, and the need for peaceful settlement of disputes, especially in the wake of the war in Ukraine.
