Revista Forum ::: Fundación Euroamérica

lts promoters and members are distinguished figures from one or the other side of the Atlantic, with ideas as varied as the spheres they represent economy, business, culture and science all motivated by the common ideal of achieving maximum communication between peoples and countries, heirs of the same culture and the shared tradition of respect for freedom and human dignity.

Up until a few years age, the rapprochement between Europe and Latin America was founded on the bilateral relations between each of the countries of the respective continents. This is how it was for almost two centuries, and this is how it remained until the present day, with satisfactory results for both parts. Only the creation of the Common Market, now the European Union (EU), on one hand, and the appearance of American supranational associations, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or Mercosur, on the other, has brought about the introduction of new formulas for communication and relations, aimed at meeting the needs generated by increasing globalization. During the last decade, however, it has become clear that, sometimes, initiatives set up by organizations, from the EU or from Latin America, are considered too ambiguous because of their institutional origin, and those which emanate from countries are perceived as being motivated by specific private interests.

The Fundación Euroamérica, which, as a private entity, aims to become an instrument for understanding between European and Latin American societies, has its origins in the Conference: "Europe and Latin America: Two forms of regional integration for the 21t Century.", held in Montevideo (Uruguay) in November 1996, sponsored by the European Commission. Taking part in that event, among others, were the Uruguayan president Julio María Marín, the Ex President of Portugal, Mario Soares, the Ex President of Spain, Felipe González, the Ex Prime Minister of Portugal, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, the President of Saxony, Kurt Biedenkopf, the Minister for Foreign Affairs for Uruguay, Alvaro Ramos, the Economy and Finance Minister of Uruguay, Luis Mosca, the then Spanish minister for Industry, Josep Piqué, the Ex Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, Nigel Lawson, the Ex President of the Bundesbank, Helmut Schlesinger, Ex Minister of State for France, Jacques Attali, the Argentinian Minister for lnternational Economic Relations, Jorge Guillermo Campbell, the Chairman of 0the Hamburg Latin American Association, Albrecht C. Rádecke, President of the Wuppertal Climate, Environment and Energy Institute, Ernst U. Von Weizsácker, the Ex Minister for Transport for Portugal, Joáo Oliveira Martins, the President of the Institute for the modification of pensions in Chile, José Piñeira, the managing director for Spain and Latin America of Ericsson, Raimo Lindgren, the Editor-in-Chief for Latin America of the Financia) Times, Stephen Fidler, the lnternational editor of The Economist, John Grimond... At the Montevideo conference the foundations were laid for what must be an unofficial instrument for the analysis and strengthening of the relations between the peoples of the two continents, but it was to be in the subsequent conferences that the Fundación Euroamérica definitively took shape: that in the Mexican capital in March 1998, "Europe and Mexico: The present and the future of balanced relations", with the collaboration of European and American Institutions, governments and private companies.

On April 14th, 1999, the Fundación Euroamérica was formally constituted, a pioneer within the European Union with a Euroamerican vocation, the stated purpose of which is to direct assets, in their capacity as a non-profit making body, to the following activities, as detailed in their statutes:

a.- Promote, disseminate and develop cultural and economic relations and increase co-operation for development between European and Latin American institutions, entities and companies, promoting co-operation between Europe and Latin America in the spheres of culture, science, economics, trade and business.

b.- Support trade and economic and cultural relations between America and Europe, acting as an efficient center for communication, information and contact between the two continente.

c.- Promote conferences, meetings, fairs and seminars as deemed appropriate for the exchange and awareness of cultural and socio-economic relations.

d.- Edit, publish and distribute magazines and other publications aimed at improving understanding between Europe and America.

e.- Any other initiative to advantage to the progress and increase of relations between Latin American and European societies, with particular attention and specific interest to the Latin American Community".

Since its constitution, the Fundación Euroamérica has organized the conference "Mexico and Europe: Economic and Political Scenarios" in Madrid, May 1999. "The European Union and Brazil: Realities and expectations of a transatlantic relationship", held in Sáo Paolo (Brazil) in December, 1999, and the "Argentinian Forum - European Union, the consequences of globalization on economic, political and social development", which is to take place in Buenos Aires on the 3' d and 4th of July, 2000. Recently, the Fun dación Euroamérica has established co-operation agreements with: Ibero Amerika Verien, an association founded in 1943, which has the participation of the four hundred German companies with the greatest presence in Latin America, Fundación Invertir de Argentina, the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade and the Socieded Estatal Hannover 2000. Contact has also been established with Canning House, in the UK.