Mr President, in this debate, we wish to express – as many previous speakers have done very effectively – this Parliament’s solidarity with, and support for, the Central American Parliament at a time when we are fighting to continue to prioritise the European Union’s external relations with the countries of Latin America. This is the approach of the report, an own-initiative report, which we in the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy are going to produce in conjunction with the competent delegations. Mr President, parliaments – as you and all of us in Parliament know very well – have today, more than ever, the difficult task, amongst others, of showing leadership in the development of our societies, of leading the quest for solutions to the many problems facing us by strengthening the values of democracy and social justice which we stand for. In the case of the Central American Parliament, this task is, if possible, even more important given the enormous challenge of the integration and structural development of these societies on the basis of peace, dialogue and reconciliation. I believe that, on the basis of the 1997 Declaration, which Mrs González Álvarez referred to, we have achieved the objective of maintaining useful and realistic cooperation which we must continue, in my judgment, I would not say modestly, as Mr Seguro has said, but brilliantly, which is how he usually carries out the work in which he is involved. I believe that the European Parliament is capable of demonstrating, through its actions, that it has a very positive view of the work of Parlacen by offering it its support and experience. Within the framework of our respective integration processes, it is clear that both the European Parliament and the Central American Parliament are required to play an increasingly important role. I believe that it is not our job as Members of the European Parliament to give advice to the Members of the Central American Parliament. The Central American Parliament will continue on its own course and will take a political path in a Central America which, I believe, wishes to and must regain possession of itself in a full union of diversity. On the basis of its shared roots, it must discover the broad range of its possible courses of development and the multiple possibilities that its project presents, by opting for peace, freedom and solidarity and also by responding to the age-old requirement of self knowledge. I therefore believe that we have to flatly reject the self-interested criticisms of those people who brand the activity of the Central American Parliament an artificial system and accuse it of being a cardboard parliament which is hollow and devoid of substance. The Central American Parliament, like the European Parliament, must gain prestige, credibility and legitimacy on the basis of the activity of its political groups, because the life of the parties is, or at least should be, a faithful reflection of the societies they represent. The aim should be to create strong parliaments which participate, act, debate and rebut, ratify and rectify, which energetically defend the values of freedom, which are the driving force of the region’s political development, and which also inform the people of the progress that has been made. Mr President, through this resolution we therefore wish to express our support for, and solidarity with, the Central American Parliament and also to ask the Commission to decisively support the multiannual programme which Parlacen has presented to the Commission, since we believe that, as an institution, it legitimises the process of integration in Central America and serves as a symbol of a new era of dialogue and peace.

Political group: PPE-DE