THERE are no regions in the world as reciprocally integrated as Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe. Today and tomorrow, the leaders of our two regions will meet in Brussels for the second EU-CELAC Summit — 16 years almost to the day since our first meeting in Rio de Janeiro. This time, the EU-CELAC Summit will bring together 61 states, accounting for more than one billion people.

Sixteen years are but an instant in history, but it is still enough time to consolidate what has become one of the most complete and successful partnerships of the European Union. In fact, our two regions are natural partners, not by default but by design.

Since that first inaugural meeting back in 1999, we have achieved a lot. We have been working on eight areas of relevance for the two regions. We have established formal bi-regional dialogues ranging from research to migration on the fight against drugs. We have concluded comprehensive agreements with 26 out of 33 CELAC countries, and we have created an EU-LAC Foundation which embodies the people-to-people dimension of our partnership.

Too often when Europeans talked of trans-Atlantic ties we focused on the North Atlantic only. This cannot be the case in today’s world, where global challenges call for truly global answers and a global network of regional partnerships. Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean share a cultural heritage based on centuries of common history. And, what is more, we share the same values and world view. We believe in a world order that is based on cooperation, on regionalism, on multilateralism. We believe in the fight against inequalities as a core feature of any political dialogue. Personally, I give top priority to our relationship: In my first months in office I have visited the region three times, and I intend to continue to invest in our partnership also with my personal dedication to it.

It’s not just politics, our partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean has not just brought our countries closer together, it is also making a real difference in our peoples’ lives. Take the example of José, a Peruvian student who is currently completing his master’s studies at the University of Louvain in Belgium; or Céline, a Belgian student on an exchange programme to Lima. For the years to come, the EU will finance through the Erasmus+ programme more than 6,000 mobility actions and provide 3,500 scholarships enabling Latin American university students to study abroad.

Take also the example of many enterprises in Latin America and the Caribbean: Thanks to the support to the internationalisation of SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean jobs are created, productivity increased, and value is added. The European Union is also the major foreign direct investor in the entire region.

On other issues, the impact of our actions might be less evident in the short run, but they are no less relevant. Climate change, the post-2015 development agenda, and the world drug problem are just three examples of common challenges where we can and need to converge. With around one-third of the UN membership, our two regions can push forward a real agenda for change. We need each other, because together we can achieve much more than separately: more equitable and effective multilateralism.

When we see our common values being challenged in different parts of the world, when radicalism and extremism threaten our open, multicultural societies, when the destruction of war still haunts many people around the world, thousands flee their homes and risk their lives to seek a better life, we need to join our efforts to overcome these problems. We want to engage in ever closer synergy with Latin American and Caribbean partners.

Our two regions and the world have changed immensely in these last 16 years. Latin America and the Caribbean have grown, solved internal conflicts, consolidated democratic governance, lifted millions out of poverty and embarked on regional integration. We are proud that our relationship has contributed to and played a role in all these positive changes. We need now to make it fit for the years to come and for the new type of challenges that we both face by turning it into a partnership for the next generations.

That is why we have put prosperity, cohesion and sustainability at the heart of this year’s Summit agenda. To succeed, we need to reach out and involve all sectors and levels of our societies in our common endeavour to broaden and strengthen the web of relations between us. This is what we are aiming for at the Brussels EU-CELAC Summit and for the five years to come.

Federica Mogherini is the high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy. She also serves as vice-president of the EU Commission. @FedericaMog