Nederlandse Grondwet:
Catherine Ashton bezoek Latijns-Amerika (en)

Brussels, 03 February 2012 - Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, will travel to Latin America this weekend for bilateral visits to Brazil and Mexico, the EU's two strategic partners in the region. She will hold talks with the Presidents and Foreign Ministers of both countries

Ahead of her visit, the High Representative/Vice President said: "The European Union is committed to strengthening the strategic partnership with both Brazil and Mexico. I hope the visit will strengthen our political and economic ties and create opportunities for synergies in addressing regional and global challenges. The EU is following with interest the dynamics of the Latin America and I believe we need to find even more ambitious ways of working together."

In Brazil, Catherine Ashton will meet President Dilma Vana Rousseff and hold talks with Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota. On 7 February, she will address a seminar on "The EU and Brazil in the world" at Instituto Rio-Branco. m Rio de Janeiro, she will visit "Crianca esperanca" Social project

On the agenda of her talks in Brazil are the bilateral relations between the two sides, in particularly in view of the EU-Brazil summit that will take place later this year, the situation in both regions, global challenges like climate change and important foreign affairs issues like Iran, the Middle East Peace Process and the response to the Arab Spring, as well as Syria

In Mexico, the High Representative/Vice President will meet with President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa and hold talks with Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa. She will also attend the official opening of the EU-Mexico Joint Council. On 10 February, Catherine Ashton will deliver a speech "The EU in the world" at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and attend the award ceremony of the International Competition for Children on Gender Equality

On the agenda of her talks in Mexico are the bilateral relations between the two sides and current developments, Mexico's presidency of G20, global challenges like climate change and important foreign affairs issues like Iran, Syria the Middle East Peace Process and the response to the Arab Spring

Europe by Satellite (EBS) will provide coverage of the visit. http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/ebs/schedule.cfm

More information on the EU and relations with Brazil:

http://www.eeas.europa.eu/brazil/index_en.htm

More information on the EU and relations with Mexico: http://www.eeas.europa.eu/mexico/index_en.htm