The European Union and Guatemala held their second bilateral consultations in Brussels on 10 June 2026, taking stock of progress in relations since the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding and the first consultations in 2024 in Guatemala City. The meeting, co-chaired by EEAS Director for the Americas Pelayo Castro and Guatemala's Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Mónica Bolaños, covered bilateral relations, cooperation in multilateral fora, regional issues and opportunities for sustainable investment, according to a joint press release published by the EEAS on 11 June 2026.
The consultations came amid enhanced high-level engagement. On 20 May, European Council President Antonio Costa visited Guatemala, reaffirming EU support for the country's democratic consolidation. On 3 June, Guatemala's Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martínez met with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and reiterated the request for an EU electoral observation mission for the 2027 general elections.
Both sides exchanged views on the renewal of electoral and judicial authorities in the first semester of 2026, which had been monitored by an EU expert team. The EU reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Guatemala's efforts to strengthen democracy and the rule of law, building on its position against the instrumentalisation of the justice system to target independent actors, human rights defenders and political opponents.
Discussions also covered enhanced cooperation against transnational organised crime, particularly drug trafficking, in line with the EU Strategy on Drugs. Both parties reaffirmed the importance of protecting civic space, including indigenous people, as a key element of democratic and sustainable development.
Trade and investment were central topics. Both sides welcomed that trade flows between Guatemala and the EU have more than doubled and investments tripled since the entry into force of the trade pillar of the EU-Central America Association Agreement in 2013, and agreed that the agreement still offers significant scope for further enhancement.
On Global Gateway investments, the parties agreed to foster collaboration on energy, circular economy, transport and digital connectivity, including expansion of the Central America Electricity Market and recovery of the Motagua River. In the Petén region and Mayan jungle, Team Europe is promoting green transition.
Both parties reiterated commitment to strengthening EU-Central America relations following the first Association Council in 2025, and to following up on commitments from the 2025 CELAC-EU Summit, including the Alliance for Citizen Security and the Pact on Care. Guatemala recognised EU support to the OAS office in the Adjacency Zone with Belize, which has contributed to preserving peace over two decades.
The EU and Guatemala underscored the importance of supporting Haiti's stability and discussed the Middle East, agreeing that diplomacy is the only path to lasting peace. Both expressed deep concern over Russia's war against Ukraine and called for a just, comprehensive peace respecting the UN Charter.
The parties agreed to hold the third round of bilateral consultations in Guatemala.
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