Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo met European Council President António Costa in Guatemala City on 20 May 2026, during Costa’s first official visit to the country in the role.
The two leaders said in a joint statement that they discussed closer ties between Guatemala and the European Union, including political cooperation, trade and investment, with reference to the EU’s “Global Gateway” strategy, a programme used to support infrastructure and development projects abroad.
They also reaffirmed shared positions on democracy, the rule of law, human rights and multilateralism, the European Council reported on Thursday.
Arévalo thanked European partners for support on institutional strengthening, transparency and anti-corruption work, while Costa reiterated the EU’s backing for Guatemala’s democracy and referred to progress the government has made in priority areas.
EU role in Guatemala’s democratic processes
The leaders pointed to EU involvement in Guatemala’s democratic processes, including electoral observation of the 2023 elections and an ad-hoc mission accompanying selection and appointment processes for senior judicial and prosecutorial posts due in 2026, the statement said.
Costa delivered a preliminary report with recommendations from that ad-hoc mission during the visit.
On regional and international issues, the two presidents agreed on strengthening dialogue between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean, and on security cooperation related to organised crime and irregular migration, citing EU-backed programmes named CLASI, PAcCTO and EUROFRONT.
They restated their commitment to the Association Agreement between Central America and the EU, noting that trade between Guatemala and the EU has doubled since the agreement entered into force.
Both leaders also expressed concern about the impact of a growing number of armed conflicts worldwide — including the war against Ukraine — and voiced support for efforts towards a ceasefire and “a fair and lasting peace” in line with international law.
