With a call to “give the best of ourselves” to ensure better times, Chilean President Sebastián Piñera closed the First Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union (EU), which was held during the last two days and was attended by representatives from 61 countries.

During his speech, the Chilean President recalled the economic crisis suffered by the European Union, stating that hard work is being done to end it soon and he reminded that countries with deficit must constrain themselves, since “no country may permanently live beyond its means.”

The President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy, reflected on the topics addressed during the Summit, expressing his surprise, since “both parties are very conscious of their interdependence” and he assured that the future will be forged with regional cooperation and collaboration.

“I leave Santiago with a more optimistic view of the future and more certain that working together we will make the difference for our citizens and be able to face future challenges in a better manner. There is no other continent that is closer to Europe than Latin America,” he said.

José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, reiterated the call to work together, assuring that it is possible to “make the difference” in facing the problems affecting the world.