The AIR Centre welcomed a delegation from the Chilean diplomatic mission in Portugal at its Lisbon headquarters on 25 May, for a working meeting focused on ocean affairs, Blue Economy, and Atlantic cooperation.

The meeting brought together Ximena Alcayaga, Head of Ocean Affairs of the Environment Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile, and Emanuel Ruz Wiznia, Consul at the Consular Section of the Chilean Embassy in Portugal, with AIR Centre’s Executive Director Miguel Miranda, Deputy Executive Director Mafalda Carapuço, and researchers Ana Faria and Tânia Li Chen.

The AIR Centre presented selected initiatives of relevance for cooperation with Chile, covering topics such as Biodiversity and Blue Economy. Among these, AAORIA was also briefly presented as an example of Atlantic cooperation, noting its relevance to EU-Chile priorities in marine and polar research, as highlighted at the 10th EU-Chile Joint Steering Committee Meeting in December 2023.

One of the topics discussed at the meeting was the fact that Chile is one of three countries, along with Belgium and China, that is currently bidding to host the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Secretariat. Chile was the first country to express interest, launching its campaign as early as March 2023, highlighting its extensive 4.200 km coastline and strong academic infrastructure.

The meeting was an opportunity to exchange perspectives on shared priorities. Marina Protected Areas, aquaculture and fisheries co-management have been identified as priorities for cooperation, towards a more integrated and sustainable approach to ocean affairs.