In light of the student-led Ibero-American Day at the College of Europe in Natolin, our students were pleased to host the online panel discussion entitled "EU-LAC Partnership: why is Latin America and the Caribbean important for the European Union, and the (particular) role of Spain and Portugal in the decision-making process towards the region".
This panel discussion intended to showcase both progress and challenges in EU-LAC relations. Given that the purpose was to illustrate the ties that bind the Iberian Peninsula to the American continent, the event aimed to highlight the role of Spain and Portugal in strengthening these transatlantic relations.
For this occasion, we had the honour of having as panellists four representatives of the European Union in four key partner countries in the region: H.E. Mr Gianluca GRIPPA, Head of the EU Delegation to the Dominican Republic, H.E. Mr Gautier MIGNOT, Head of the EU Delegation to Mexico, H.E. Mr León DE LA TORRE KRAIS, Head of the EU Delegation to Chile, and H.E. Mr Ignacio YBÁÑEZ, Head of the EU Delegation to Brazil.
More information about the speakers:
H.E. Mr Gianluca GRIPPA: After nearly 30 years of work at the United Nations and the European Union, Mr Gianluca GRIPPA, of Italian nationality, has been appointed by the HR/VP Federica Mogherini as Head of Delegation of the EU to the Dominican Republic in 2017. Before that, Mr GRIPPA has been working for many years as Head of Division for Strategy and Instruments of the European Neighbourhood Policy within the EEAS.- H.E. Mr Gautier MIGNOT is a French diplomat with a 26-year career in the foreign service. He has held several positions in the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as in different diplomatic representations. After serving as French Ambassador to Colombia until November 2020, Mr MIGNOT was recently appointed Head of Delegation of the European Union to Mexico.
- H.E. Mr León DE LA TORRE KRAIS: In addition to his work as a lawyer, Mr DE LA TORRE KRAIS is a Spanish career diplomat since 1994. He has fulfilled duties both in the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Department for European Affairs and abroad as Spanish Ambassador to Nicaragua. After serving 4 years as the Head of Delegation of the European Union in Bolivia from 2016-2020, he was appointed as Head of the EU Delegation to Chile.
- H.E. Mr Ignacio YBÁÑEZ is a Spanish economist and career diplomat. He has been posted in the Spanish diplomatic representations in Tanzania, Egypt, Guatemala, and Russia. He has been an advisor in the Cabinet of the Presidency of the Government and, in 2004, he was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. He is currently Head of the European Union Delegation to Brazil.
The event took place on Zoom.