By Ángel Páez
LIMA, May 16 2008 (IPS)

The heads of state and government taking part in the Fifth European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean (EU-LAC) Summit in Peru signed the Declaration of Lima Friday, an 11-point document full of generic proposals and expressions of goodwill.

EU-LAC summit Credit: EU-LAC

In the final statement, the EU countries express their interest in speeding up the talks with the Andean Community of Nations (CAN – Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru), and to kickstart negotiations with the Mercosur (Southern Common Market – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay), to reach free trade agreements like those already signed with Mexico and Chile.

The heads of state and government also committed themselves to promoting the public welfare with more inclusive and integrated societies; promoting regional integration; and building a more effective and democratic multilateral system.

In addition, the declaration reaffirms the commitment to adopt social policies aimed at eradicating malnutrition and preventing child malnutrition, eliminating illiteracy, achieving universal access to clean water and sanitation, boosting employment rates and improving working conditions for the most vulnerable sectors of society.

However, the document does not reflect the call for concrete measures voiced by Peruvian President Alan García in his opening speech at the summit.

“Let’s not leave the fundamental task of setting concrete goals, the policies of the future, in the hands of advisers, or even foreign ministers. Let’s work to make them a reality,” said the summit host.

García urged the participants to overcome their differences in order to reach specific agreements, instead of merely repeating the rituals and protocol that so often characterise these summits.

The Peruvian leader also took advantage of the opportunity to criticise those who argue that the market should be left to take care of society’s problems. “We do not believe that the free market is the only mechanism for orienting the life of the human species,” said García.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez echoed that sentiment. “Politics, not the market, should take the reins. Politics is like the cavalry: it has to take the lead – not the market, which generates hunger, poverty and exclusion.”

He added that “The formula for fighting poverty is socialism. We do not expect everyone to follow the socialist model, but we do say that supreme efforts are needed to prevent the evils caused by capitalism.”

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa questioned Colombia and Peru for seeking free trade agreements on their own, counter to the calls for negotiating as a bloc.

“The viable route would be for the CAN to negotiate as a bloc, but among our members there are two who have already negotiated free trade agreements with the United States and accepted certain conditions that neither Ecuador nor Bolivia will agree too, either with the United States or Europe,” said Correa.

“If this is a very big obstacle, alternatives will have to be found,” he said.

In the summit seating arrangements, President Álvaro Uribe of Colombia was placed at a prudent distance from Correa and Chávez, with whom he has been involved in diplomatic rows in the last few months.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also sat far from Chávez. A few days prior to the summit, the Venezuelan leader responded harshly to her criticism of his governing style and his policies, which she said were not the solution to the region’s problems. Merkel was placed far enough away from Chávez that they would not even have to look at each other.

But after the presidents’ first meeting, Chávez told the press that he had apologised to Merkel for his statement that her party shared the ideals of Adolf Hitler.

“I haven’t come here to fight. I was pleased to shake hands with the German chancellor,” said Chávez. “She said something over there and I responded. Cristina (Fernández, the president of Argentina) was there, I gave her a kiss and gave one to the German chancellor, and told her ‘I’m sorry if I was harsh, here is my hand’,” he said. The Declaration of Lima also underlines the need for stable, steady economic growth with a redistributive impact, while preserving orderly macroeconomic policies and a secure investment climate.

One issue linked to social cohesion is immigration policy, which the EU plans to stiffen over the next few months.

“Immigration cannot be criminalised; there are no illegal human beings, only illegal procedures and illegitimate laws,” said Correa.

The final declaration also assigned “particular importance” to addressing conditions faced by migrants, on the basis of respect for human rights and the principle of shared responsibility, the development of an approach that takes into account the important contribution of migrants to recipient countries, and the stepping up of cooperation to prevent and combat the trafficking of persons, racism and xenophobia.

The document concludes that sustainable development is a necessary condition for alleviating poverty, and stresses the importance of combining economic and social development with protection of the environment, while assuming a commitment to strengthen bi-regional cooperation in the mitigation of climate change and adaptation to its effects.

The cheery photo ops at the summit did not conceal the profound differences within the CAN over negotiations with the EU and the tension between Colombia and Ecuador and Venezuela over Colombia’s Mar. 1 bombing raid of a FARC guerrilla camp in Ecuadorean territory.

Asked whether he would do anything to seek a rapprochement with the Colombian president, Chávez responded: “The conditions are not in place, because to talk to Uribe, I would have to descend to a swamp; if you want unity, you have to show respect.”

Correa also ruled out a thaw in relations with Uribe, “because of Colombia’s continued slander.”

The summit will end Saturday with meetings between the EU and the CAN, Mercosur, Central America and the Cariforum.

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