UK Minister for Latin America, Baroness , visits Santiago and Punta
Arenas for the first time since the July election, to meet with
Chilean leaders and strengthen bilateral and trade ties.
- UK Minister for Latin America, Baroness , visits Santiago and Punta
Arenas for the first time since the July election, to meet with
Chilean leaders and strengthen bilateral and trade ties
- Visit comes weeks after the UK's accession to the
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific
Partnership (CPTPP), of which Chile is also a member
- Collaboration in science, climate action and advocating for
gender equality also on the agenda for Minister's visit
Economic growth, trade, climate, science and gender equality were
high on the agenda in Santiago and Punta Arenas last week, as UK
Minister for Latin America visited Chile for the first
time.
The visit followed the UK's recent accession to the Comprehensive
and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP),
where we join 11 other economies across Asia and the Americas,
including Chile, an alliance with collective GDP worth £12
trillion .
The UK's accession to the agreement could boost domestic GDP by
around £2 billion each year when compared to projected GDP in
2040, and is expected to benefit every nation and region in the
UK.
During her visit, Minister Chapman met with Deputy Foreign
Minister Gloria de la Fuente, as well as the Regional Governor of
Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Jorge Flies, and Mayor of Punta
Arenas Claudio Radonich, to discuss the strengthening UK-Chile
relationship, and the growing trade relationship as fellow
signatories to the CPTPP.
She was also able to visit the Chile Headquarters of Anglo
American, a British multinational mining company, to discuss
their leading sustainability work, and the growing use of
carbon-neutral technologies within the mining sector.
Minister for Latin America said:
The UK and Chile share a deep and enduring partnership built on
shared values and a commitment to prosperity for both of our
nations.
Our recent accession to CPTPP opens exciting new opportunities
for trade and collaboration, and I'm pleased to be here to see
our joint work – across climate innovation, mining and
sustainable development – in action.
We are continuing to strengthen our partnerships across the
Global South, and ensuring that both our nations benefit from the
opportunities of a dynamic, global economy.
Minister Chapman also unveiled a commemorative plaque honouring
Luis Pardo Villalón, a Chilean naval officer who played a pivotal
role in the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1916, rescuing
22 stranded sailors after HMS Endurance ran aground during
British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's mission to cross the
South Pole.
While in Santiago, the Minister delivered a speech at Adolfo
Ibáñez University where she helped launch the UK-funded Digital
Rights Report - a publication addressing tech-facilitated
gender-based violence suffered by indigenous women in Chile –
emphasising the UK's firm commitment to promoting gender equality
worldwide, and fostering inclusive growth.
