Chile: High Representative Josep Borrell concludes visit, highlights importance of modernised EU-Chile Association Agreement

01.05.2022
Brussels
EEAS Press Team

High Representative/Vice-President (HR/VP) Josep Borrell visited Chile from 27 April to 1 May to strengthen EU-Chile relations at a crucial time. 

HR/VP Borrell met with the President of Chile Gabriel Boric as well as other government representatives, where he outlined that Chile is a key partner for the EU in strengthening multilateralism and regional integration, fighting climate change, advancing the digitalization of our economies, and promoting sustainable and inclusive trade. 

In particular, HR/VP discussed with President Boric ​​the importance of modernising the 2002 Association Agreement to promote political dialogue in key areas as well as new standards in the field of sustainable development, gender equality and fair trade. 

HR/VP underlined that the Association Agreement acquires greater relevance in the current geopolitical context to defend our common values and define joint answers to the challenges of the transition towards a greener, more digital and fairer society. 

HR/VP thanked Chile for its strong support in standing against Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. In this regard, the importance of diversifying energy supply and promoting renewable energies to reduce dependence on Russian supplies was a key component of HR/VP’s visit.

HR/VP Borrell therefore visited the European Southern Observatory (ESO) to intensify cooperation on science and technology and the solar power plant Cerro Dominador, a symbol of the EU-Chile technology and investment cooperation for the promotion of renewable energies, a sector in which 40% of the investments in Chile come from European companies. 

HR/VP also met with Foreign Minister Urrejola and confirmed the EU's commitment to strengthening bi-regional relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean. He also reiterated his support for regional integration processes. 

Meetings with Ministers of Interior Siches, Defence Fernández Allende and the General Secretariat of the Presidency Jackson offered an opportunity to agree on priority areas for cooperation such as the economic and green agenda, security and migration. HR/VP thanked Chile for its participation in EUFOR Althea, highlighting that the EU aims to deepen cooperation on defence and security with Chile, including in the framework of the Strategic Compass. 

HR/VP Borrell participated together with the Minister for the Environment, Maisa Rojas, and the Minister for Energy, Claudio Huepe in an event “The European Union and Chile together for climate action: from the global to the local and promoting the development of green hydrogen” organised with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. During this event, new EU cooperation programmes were announced to promote a green transition in Chile, including the Country Action Plan of the Euroclima+ Program and the Green Hydrogen Team Europe Initiative, worth €4 million. 

The High Representative also met with the President and Vice-President of the Constitutional Convention, Maria Elisa Quinteros and Gaspar Domínguez, stressing conveyed EU support for this democratic innovative process and hoping that the new Constitution would respond to the transversal aspirations of Chilean society.

HR/VP inaugurated the new offices of the Delegation of the European Union in Chile and delivered a speech at the University of Chile entitled “The European Union in the face of international crises". 

 

More information:

Chile: Remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the joint press point with Minister for Energy

Chile: Remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the press conference at the EU delegation

Audiovisual coverage:

EC AV PORTAL – Visit of Josep Borrell Fontelles, Vice-President of the European Commission, to Chile

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