Colombia Takes Lead in Santa Marta to Negotiate CELAC–EU Declaration 2025

Original article: Colombia lidera en Santa Marta la negociación de la Declaración CELAC–Unión Europea 2025

In anticipation of the IV CELAC–EU Summit, Mauricio Jaramillo Jassir, the Deputy Minister of Multilateral Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Colombia’s National Coordinator for CELAC, chaired the Meeting of National Coordinators of CELAC.

The meeting aimed to make progress on negotiating the Santa Marta CELAC–EU 2025 Declaration, a document set to be presented during the summit scheduled for November 9 and 10 in Santa Marta.

It is worth noting that on April 9, 2025, Colombia assumed the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) for the 2025–2026 term, underscoring the current administration’s commitment to regional integration and a focus on the agenda of the triple transition: energy, digital, and environmental.

“I invite you to find a balance between national positions and a consensus that reflects our characteristic unity, allowing us to negotiate the Santa Marta Declaration today,” said Deputy Minister Jaramillo Jassir during his speech.

The meeting was held in person, with delegations from Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela in attendance, while the remaining 18 countries participated virtually, completing the representation of the 33 member states of the regional bloc.

Also participating were representatives from the CELAC Troika countries—Uruguay, Colombia, and Honduras—as well as Mr. Rodrigo Peñailillo Briceño, the representative for CAF–Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean in Colombia, an entity that supported the process.

“Under Colombia’s leadership, CELAC is moving towards a new stage of cooperation and dialogue that strengthens the voice of Latin America and the Caribbean on the international stage. This meeting in Santa Marta marks a significant step toward a more united, sustainable, and supportive region, committed to a shared future of development and well-being for its peoples,” stated the Colombian Foreign Ministry in a release.

El Ciudadano