Bumpy start as minister heads to EU-Latin America trade talks

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul finally departed on a commercial flight on Saturday for an EU-Latin America summit in Colombia set to be dominated by thorny trade issues - but initially he had to overcome logistical headwinds.

The minister was compelled to take a commercial flight from Hamburg to Bogotá due to a defect on the government aircraft - a military Airbus A350 - which was supposed to take him.

There was a problem with the de-icing system, a spokesman for the German Air Force, or Luftwaffe, said on Saturday, adding that the necessary spare parts have now been ordered.

Wadephul is to represent Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the meeting.

Regional opportunities

On Sunday, Wadephul is to meet his European and Latin American counterparts in the Caribbean coastal city of Santa Marta for the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit.

His aim at the talks is to deepen cooperation with the region, in an effort to safeguard against US President Donald Trump's protectionist tariff policy and dependence on China for rare earth elements.

"Our opportunities for cooperation are huge, we just have to seize and use them," Wadephul said before take-off.

He highlighted issues ranging from the diversification of supply chains to cooperation in the extraction and processing of important raw materials, as well as digital technologies and skilled workers.

Rare earths are found in consumer goods such as smartphones and television screens, as well as in electric car engines, semiconductors and turbines.

Free trade

Strong partnerships already exist with many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, Wadephul noted.

A key topic in Colombia will be the trade agreement being negotiated with Mercosur states, the minister said, with a view to concluding it swiftly and breathing life into the deal, akin to similar agreements with Chile, Mexico and other regional partners.

The agreements could strengthen supply chains and resilience and stimulate growth, according to Germany's top diplomat.

Negotiations on the agreement between the European Union and the four Mercosur countries - Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay - have been ongoing since 1999.

According to the European Commission, it would create the world's largest free trade area of its kind, with more than 700 million inhabitants, as well as sending a signal in response to Trump's tariffs.

Tariffs and trade barriers between the EU and Mercosur countries are to be largely dismantled under the deal.

On Sunday, Wadephul planned to travel on from Colombia to Bolivia for talks with the newly elected government. Bolivia is considered rich in raw materials and is an important supplier of lithium, which is essential for battery production.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the minister is scheduled to attend a meeting in Canada with his counterparts from the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized nations.