GFDD and FUNGLODE preferred candidates as strategic partners of the recently created EU-LAC Foundation

GFDD’s Washington, DC director, Asuncion Sanz, represented GFDD and FUNGLODE at the October 14 Senior Officers Meeting (SOM) of the EU-LAC and made a presentation for its candidacy to become one of the two strategic partners for LAC at the EU-LAC Foundation.

The strategic partnership between the European Union (EU) and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
was born in June 1999 at the first EU-LAC Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Within the framework of the EU-LAC process, the VI EU-LAC Summit in Madrid on May 18, 2011 saw the creation of the European Union-Latin America and Caribbean Foundation, conceived as a useful tool for strengthening the bi-regional partnership, triggering debate about common strategies and actions as well as enhancing visibility. The Foundation, known as EU-LAC Foundation, will have legal capacity under German civilian law
and its seat in the city of Hamburg. EU-LAC ministers of foreign affairs endorsed its terms of reference.

The purpose of this foundation is to invigorate existing long-term initiatives such as strengthening cooperation between the EU and LAC regions, fostering intellectual exchange, encouraging debate, launching bi-regional awareness programs,
encouraging studies on issues pertaining to both regions, promoting and supporting events related to topics addressed at EU-LAC Summits, among others.

In order to accomplish its objectives, the EU-LAC Foundation will establish a limited number of strategic partners that work to safeguard regional balance. Two of the partners confirmed are L’Institut des Ameriques, in France, and Regione Lombardia, in Italy. GFDD/FUNGLODE is a strong candidate to become one
of the two strategic partners and will hopefully be confirmed in this capacity at the upcoming January 2012 EU-LAC Senior Officers Meeting (SOM) that will be convening in preparation for the EU-LAC Summit to take place in June 2012 in Santiago, Chile.