I am delighted to be meeting the new Bolivian Government under President Rodrigo Paz Pereira at such an early stage, on its third day in office and first real day of work.

The Bolivian people have great hopes for this fresh political start. They want a way out of the ongoing economic crisis, they are hoping for prosperity, stability and growth.

President Paz has announced that he will open Bolivia up to the world. Bolivia has our full support in this.

Our potential for cooperation is considerable. Bolivia is rich in raw materials, especially when it comes to lithium, which is indispensable for our energy transition, for e-mobility and for many other areas in Germany. With regard to rare earths, too, there are tremendous opportunities to be found in Bolivia. As a member of Mercosur, Bolivia will also be able to join the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement, which we are currently finalising. This would give an additional boost to German-Bolivian economic relations.

Germany wants to work in a spirit of partnership and make strong offers that will benefit both sides. We want to provide support so that the hopes and expectations of the people of Bolivia can become a reality – I will underline this at all of my meetings with the new government.