News from Berlin

Upgrading the EU – Chile Trade Pact

October 29th, 2014
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News from Berlin – On Monday October 27th, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet started her European tour. First meeting she had was with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. Two leaders held a joint conference where they talked about the expansion of cooperation between Chile and the European Union.

The Chilean representative expressed the Chilean aims for the extension of the decade-old free trade agreement between her country and the EU. Both leaders highlighted their fluid bilateral relations and agreed on increasing them. They also exchanged thoughts on the current situation in their respective countries and agreed on the expansion of cooperation. Chile, being the world’s largest copper producer, want to go over the agreements they have with Europe, now that they have demonstrated what they are capable of. President Bachelet also expressed her hopes to attract foreign capital into Chile after recent tax reforms were passed by her government.

Bachelet also talked to Merkel about some ongoing reforms in Chile, for instance education. She defended the decision to change the current educational system, which is segregationist and exclusive, and called for the need to fight to eliminate inequality; "we are keen to know the German educational model, which has been so successful,” she said to the press.

Merkel encouraged the extension of Chile’s trade pact and the South American leader also talked about moving towards an extradition agreement with the European bloc. As a refugee herself, in the early 70s as a result of the military coup by General Augusto Pinochet, she was forced to move to the German Democratic Republic, therefore this subject area is of great importance to her.

The Chilean leader also extended an invitation to Angela Merkel to the Women’s World Summit, which will be organized by Bachelet and is most likely to be held on March 8th 2015 on International Women’s Day.

News from Berlin – Berlin Global