Chilean President Gabriel Boric (left) concluded his first European tour in Paris on Friday July 21, which took him to Madrid and Brussels.
What is the outcome of your visit?
He is very positive. I am proud to see the strong valuation of Chile abroad. Our country makes its voice heard in the global geopolitical debate and, in the face of the energy transition and in the fight against the climate crisis, it plays an important role. Regarding my interview with Emmanuel Macron, we had a conversation in particular on the values that we share and on the way in which we can each fight from our respective spaces to make the values of democracy and human rights triumph.
In Brussels, you signed a cooperation agreement with the European Union around lithium and other raw materials.
This is an agreement concerning the production of critical minerals, not only their exploitation, but also the creation of value chains and the transfer of technologies. We didn’t come to Europe just to sell pebbles. Chile is fortunate to have certain minerals or certain energies that are important for today’s world: wind, sun, lithium, copper. But we also have knowledge, technology, professionals, and we want to give them value. And the agreement we signed recognizes Chile as a full partner. The idea is also to get away from the purely “extractive” model of raw materials.
Do you think, like your Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, that the countries of the North have a responsibility towards the countries of the South because of greenhouse gas emissions?
There shouldn’t even be a discussion about it. The countries of the North are those which have polluted the most, and therefore have a greater responsibility. But today, we all need to be part of the solution. No one will be saved without others. So the answer from the countries of the South cannot be: now we are going to do the same thing as you. We also need to set ourselves high standards when it comes to transition. That is why, in Chile, we have passed a law to be carbon neutral by 2050 and we hope to achieve it before that.
The influence that China may have in Latin America raises concerns among Europeans and Americans. Does China offer prospects or does it represent a risk for Chile?
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