President Calviño at the CELAC-EU Summit 2025

Thank you, Mr President. Dear presidents, ministers, ambassadors and representatives.  

As we’ve been here for many hours and we’re all tired, I will conclude with three key points that can be summarised with the word just highlighted by President Petro: this message of unity.  

First key point. The European Investment Bank is playing an absolutely vital role in supporting the partnership between the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union. Because of our strong financial position and our AAA rating, but, above all, because our shareholders are the 27 EU Member States, and today you have all heard the unanimous and unwavering message of support for the strategic partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean. The 27 EU Member States of the European Union are clear about this. They want to build bridges across the Atlantic, and they see this as a beneficial partnership with a more important role than ever in the current international context. Over the last 45 years, we have built a relationship of trust with the region by financing projects that make people’s lives better.  

This brings me to my second point, and an explanation of the role the European Investment Bank plays. Like the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) and other multilateral banks, we direct funding to support political priorities. We turn words into action and real projects on the ground. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the European Investment Bank finances projects connected with climate change adaptation, a topic mentioned by all of you in relation to the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa. We support projects backing female entrepreneurship, power grids, transport and telecommunications networks, support for small businesses and micro-enterprises... ranging from micro-loans for women in Brazil to the green hydrogen platform in Chile; the Bogotá, Quito and São Paulo metros; and other projects that make this strategic partnership stronger every day.  

The third point I wanted to share with you today is that we came to this summit to sign and announce agreements making projects that would have been unthinkable without this financial support possible. The European Investment Bank is set to commit a total of over $3 billion to the region in 2025. Together with the Council and European Commission, we will announce a $1.15 billion envelope to promote energy integration in Central America: in Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize. And during this summit we have signed two other major operations: in the water sector in Ecuador and in the renewable energy sector here, in Colombia, in the Atlántico region. From here I will travel to Panama to visit projects we are financing there, including the Panama Canal expansion. Projects that, as I was saying, make people’s lives better.  

I will conclude with that message of unity, which I think is a good representation of today’s dialogue. We will continue working with CAF and the other strategic partners, moving forward in the same direction. We will continue to provide funding and investment for strategic partnerships. You can count on the European Investment Bank to continue being a key strategic partner for the region, so we can continue building bridges across the Atlantic.  

Thank you very much, Mr President.