BEIJING.— China is finalizing the preparations to host the first ministerial meeting with members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which will be inaugurated on the 8th of this month by President Xi Jinping.
So far 30 of the 33 CELAC member countries have confirmed their attendance, as well as representatives of regional bodies, Zhu Qingqiao, director general of the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, informed on Monday.
During a press conference, Zhu announced that the Head of State of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solis, current President Pro Tempore of CELAC, will attend the opening ceremony of the meeting, as reported by PL.
Also confirmed as attending were the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Perry Christie.
Zhu, who recently took up the post, stressed the importance of this ministerial meeting of China-CELAC, which will include a preliminary high-level meeting on January 7 followed by sessions on January 8 and 9. Under the theme, “New Platform, New Starting Point, New Opportunities; Jointly Promoting the China-Latin America and the Caribbean Strategic Partnership, the meeting will set out the agreements made in Brazil between President Xi and the CELAC Quartet in July last year.
Zhu explained that this is a comprehensive governmental cooperation platform spearheaded by the foreign ministries of member countries in order to promote political, commercial, economic, cultural and social exchanges.
20 foreign ministers are expected to participate in the meeting next Thursday and Friday, together with ministers of trade, industry and tourism, among others, as well as senior officials of several regional organizations. The meeting is the first major diplomatic event to be held in China in 2015, we are in the final stage of preparations and almost everything is in place to ensure the success of the meeting, Zhu noted, recalling that the country is the second largest trading partner of Latin America and the Caribbean and the first of many of the countries in the region. Latin America and the Caribbean is a region with numerous developing countries and we share many common interests.
We have much to offer to each other, the director highlighted. Asked about President Maduro’s attendance at the event, which will also see Silva, Correa and Christie participating as members of the CELAC Quartet, Zhu stated that his participation is warmly received and reflects Venezuela’s interest in the meeting. Venezuela is a major Latin American country which is developing important cooperation ties with China in the commercial sphere and with projects such as those related to the transportation and energy sectors as seen in 2014, he added.
Zhu concluded by informing that Maduro will meet with President Xi and other Chinese leaders during his visit. He also clarified that all CELAC member countries, including the 12 that currently have no diplomatic relations with Beijing, will have access to the Chinese-Latin American and Caribbean Cooperation Fund announced last July during President Xi’s tour of the region.
At the meeting in Brazil with representatives of the CELAC Quartet, Xi announced the fund destined for infrastructure and technology projects in Latin America and a line of credit to the Caribbean of about $10 billion. Several delegations have already arrived in China to attend the ministerial meeting, including those of Costa Rica and Ecuador, headed by their presidents, who will begin official visits on Tuesday.
The establishment of this forum for cooperation with China was agreed at the CELAC Summit held in Havana, Cuba, in January 2014 and the ministerial meeting was confirmed during the meeting of Xi with the leaders of the CELAC Quartet held in Brazil in July.
The Cuban delegation attending the event will be chaired by the Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca. The delegation also includes the Deputy Foreign Minister, Abelardo Moreno, among other officials.
