Minister Byrne to represent Ireland at 4th EU-CELAC Summit

Ireland - Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne TD, is attending the fourth summit of EU-Community of Latin American & Caribbean States (CELAC) on 9 and 10 November in Santa Marta, Colombia. The summit will be co-chaired by the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, as CELAC pro tempore president, and the President of the European Council, António Costa.

Minister Byrne will join leaders present to discuss trade and international security, as well as

climate change and sustainable development. The leaders will agree a joint declaration to be adopted at the close of the event, expected to be an ambitious framework to guide future cooperation, as well as two bi-regional pacts on Citizen Security and on Care.

During the summit, Minister Byrne will deliver Ireland’s national statement reaffirming our commitment to closer EU ties with the Latin America and Caribbean region. 

Commenting on the summit, Minister Byrne said: “I am proud to represent Ireland at the EU CELAC Summit, which presents an opportunity to deepen our multilateral and bilateral relations with the region. I will take the opportunity to underline our shared values of upholding the multilateral order, sustainable development and enhanced trade cooperation. 

“I also look forward to reaffirming Ireland’s dedication to our role in the Colombian peace process and support towards peace and development in the region more broadly. I plan to underline Ireland’s engagement with the Caribbean region and send our condolences to all those impacted by Hurricane Melissa.”

The Minister will hold bilateral meetings with Latin American and Caribbean leaders in attendance on the side-lines of the summit to advance Ireland’s relationships with partners in the region. He will also update on plans in Ireland for a high level trade promotion event with the LAC region in 2026.

The Minister’s attendance at the Summit highlights Ireland’s commitment to deepening bilateral and multilateral engagement as set out in Global Ireland: Ireland's Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean to 2025 and as evidenced by Ireland’s opening of Offices in the region for both the Caribbean region and Central America in recent years.