MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

EU promises not to let down Latinamerica.

European Commission president Jose Manuel Durao Barroso promised Thursday to step up the bloc's trans-Atlantic efforts because “it is important that Europe does not disappoint our friends in Latin America”.

The former Prime Minister of Portugal added it was "very important for (Latin Americans) to be able to look to Europe and find a concrete response to their aspirations".

"We are working on trade matters because it is one of the areas where our friends in Latin America are asking us most for results, and also we want to cooperate on concrete support for integration, for example with Mercosur" underlined Mr. Durao Barroso.

EU has signed association accords including free trade, political dialogue and cooperation with Mexico, in 2000, and Chile in 2002, and is currently negotiating a similar agreement with Mercosur, -Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay-.

Additionally this week a preliminary evaluation process on the degree of integration among the Central American and Andean countries was launched with the purpose of opening similar negotiations with both regions.

"It is important that Europe does not disappoint our friends in Latin America who are looking towards Europe".

"We know Latin America well. From the cultural point of view they are closer to us - to the Iberian Peninsula - than, for example, to the United States," said the EC president.

"Therefore if it is possible to find a compromise between member states, the Commission very much favours a more voluntary approach in relations with Latin America" highlighted Mr. Durao Barroso.