We already have strong partnerships today with many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is reflected, among other things, in the many visits made by Latin American Foreign Ministers to Berlin in recent weeks. I would like to continue down this road and take decisive action to further expand our relations. An important opportunity to take further steps is the meeting between the states of the EU and of Latin America and the Caribbean at the EU-CELAC summit in Colombia.

One topic on the agenda will be how we can swiftly finalise and put into practice the free trade agreement with the Mercosur states, as well as the agreements with Chile, Mexico and other partners in the region. These agreements strengthen our partnerships, strengthen our supply chains and our resilience, and can serve as major catalysts of growth for our economies.

Meanwhile, Germany also stands ready to work with the states of Latin America and the Caribbean to foster peace and security in the region, whether that means the fight against organised crime, support for addressing the crisis in Haiti, or the peace process in Colombia.

From diversifying our supply chains to cooperating on the extraction and processing of important raw materials, from digital technologies to skilled workers, our possibilities for cooperation are enormous – we simply need to seize and utilise them.

I hope to contribute to this on my first trip to Latin America as Foreign Minister.