From January 12 to 18, 2020, a delegation of high-ranking Latin American members of government took part in a visit to Geneva, Brussels and Berlin. In Geneva, meetings were held with representatives of the WTO, UNCTAD, ILO, ITC and the ambassadors of the participating countries. In Brussels, the focus was put on relations with the European Union (EU) and the role of its institutions in relation to Latin American regional alliances and the multilateral trading system. In Berlin, the group met with representatives of the German Federal Government and representatives of the BDI in order to also better understand Germany's position in the overall context of the topic.
The aim was to obtain information on the relationship and current developments between the Pacific Alliance and MERCOSUR and the international trading systems. In addition, contacts were to be established with German institutions from politics and business. The delegation is the continuation of a workshop that took place in August 2019 in Santiago de Chile at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) in cooperation with KAS ADELA. The role of Latin America in the reform process of the United Nations (UN) and convergences between the members of the Pacific Alliance (PA) and MERCOSUR regarding the reform of the WTO were discussed. The trip is thus intended to contribute to a better mutual understanding of the national perceptions of Latin American countries and of regional and international trade institutions and regimes.
The group consisted of Eduardo Tempone, National Director for Multilateral Economic Relations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina, Diego Caicedo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade in Ecuador, Juan Salvador Bonilla Ibáñez, Advisor to the Pacific Alliance Department in the Undersecretariat of International Economic Affairs of the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Luis Hermodo Garrido, Advisor of the Pacific Alliance Department in the Under-Secretariat for International Economic Affairs of the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ignacio Bartesaghi, Professor of International Economics at the Catholic University of Uruguay, Ángel Villalobos Rodríguez, the new Ambassador of Mexico to the WTO, José Eduardo Bernardo Dos Santos, the Head of the Department of Economic Organizations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Sandra Herrera, the WTO/OECD Coordinator in the Vice Ministry of Foreign Trade in Peru, Didier Olmedo, the Deputy Minister of Economic Relations and Integration in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay, Sebastian Herreros, Economic Advisor in the Department of International Trade and Integration of CEPAL in Chile and Andrés Mora Elizondo, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica
Winfried Weck, Director of the KAS Office in Panama and the Regional Program ADELA, and Michaela Braun, Country Secretary for Central America, Mexico and the Regional Program ADELA in Berlin, accompanied the trip.
Itinerary:
The delegation's journey began on January 12 in Geneva, where the participants gradually arrived from their home countries. In the evening, Winfried Weck and Michaela Braun gave the guests an introduction to the program at a joint dinner.
The next day, Ms Liping Zhang, Senior Officer for Economic Affairs in the Trade Rounds and Trade Diplomacy Division, received the group at the UN Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD. This was followed by a lunch with ambassadors of the delegating countries. The group then left for the World Trade Organization, where they met with Karl Brauner, Deputy Director General, and Victor do Prado, Director of the Council and TNC Division. For dinner Dr. Olaf Wientzek, the head of the KAS representation in Geneva, met with the delegation.
On January 14, the participants went to the International Labour Organization (ILO) to meet Thomas Wissing, of the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work Division. The programme then included a visit to the International Trade Centre and a discussion with Marion Jansen, Chief Economist of the ITC and Director of the Market Development Division. For lunch the KAS Office Geneva invited the delegation and ambassadors of EU member states. Afterwards the group went to the Representation of the European Union in Geneva, where they met with Ambassador Joao Aguiar Machado.
The following day, the delegation went to Brussels, where they linked up with Matthias Jorgensen, Head of the Latin America Department of the European Commission's Directorate General for Trade. Denis Schrey, Director of the KAS Regional Programme Multilateral Development Dialogue, and Dr. Susanne Conrad, Senior Programme Manager for Multinational Cooperation, Foreign and Security Policy, joined the delegation for lunch. Afterwards, the group visited the think tank Bruegel (Brussels European and Global Economic Laboratory) and spoke with Director Guntram Wolff, Head of Trade Affairs, Niclas Poitiers, and Scarlett Varga, Deputy Head of Development.
On the evening of January 15, the participants flew from Brussels to Berlin, where they were received on the next morning by Uta Knott, International Markets, Latin America and Caribbean Officer at the Federation of German Industries. They were then joined by Nicola Brandt, Head of the OECD Representation in Berlin. Lunch was served at the KAS Academy, where the delegation met Frank Priess, Deputy Head of the Department of European and International Cooperation, and Dr. Jan Woischnik, Head of the Regional Team Latin America. Afterwards, Mr. Miguel Berger, Head of the Department of Economics and Sustainable Development, and Ms. Martina Klumpp, Head of the Economics Policy Unit, received the delegation at the Federal Foreign Office. This was followed by a visit to the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, during which Dr. Mark Heinzel, Managing Director of the Latin America Initiative of German Business, discussed various points with the group. For dinner, Joachim Elsässer, Advisor to the Federation of German Industries for Cooperation with the Pacific Alliance, gave an overview of Germany's cooperation with the Pacific Alliance.
On the last day of the trip, the delegation had the opportunity to meet several members of the German Bundestag. Peter Weiß, Jürgen Hardt, Andreas Nick and Stefan Rouenhoff attended this discussion round. Afterwards, the program was followed by a visit to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy for talks with Dr. Sibylle Grabert, Deputy Head of the Latin America Division, Martin Lutz, Head of the Trade/Trade Policy Division, and Tobias Thomae, Deputy Head of the Trade/Trade Policy Division and Marion Paulus from the Latin America Division.
