During the World Governments Summit in Dubai, LatinGulf.ae conducted an exclusive interview with H.E. Carlos Ramiro Martínez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Guatemala, together with H.E. Jorge Archila, Ambassador of Guatemala to the United Arab Emirates, to discuss Guatemala’s expanding diplomatic and economic agenda in the Gulf region.
In this conversation, the Minister highlighted key outcomes from Guatemala’s official visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, including the launch of negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the UAE, new opportunities for investment and cooperation across the Emirates, and Guatemala’s growing commitment to strengthening strategic partnerships with Gulf nations through trade, development, tourism, and innovation initiatives.
During your recent visit to the United Arab Emirates, what were the main objectives of your agenda, and what key outcomes would you highlight from your participation in the World Governments Summit and your bilateral meetings with UAE authorities?
The visit to the United Arab Emirates had several objectives. One of them was to accept the invitation and participate in the Global Government Summit, where we took part in an active manner. In addition, the visit also had a bilateral dimension. This allowed me, in my capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, to meet with the Vice Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates to address a number of issues that we are working on jointly, coordinating and looking ahead with the aim of deepening the relationship between both States.
We already have some mechanisms in place that now need to be implemented, such as the memorandum of understanding on political consultations, among others, as well as additional matters that were discussed during meetings with other Emirati authorities.
I would also like to highlight the signing of the terms of reference with the UAE Minister of Foreign Trade for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). With this, we formally opened the negotiation process of the agreement, which will now be handled by the relevant authorities in each country.
Furthermore, our participation in the Summit and the bilateral engagements also led to our active participation in one of the panels and in the conference as a whole, within the framework of the Tenth Conference on Cooperation and Collaboration with the Association of Caribbean States, of which Guatemala is a member. Overall, it was a diverse and substantive agenda that allowed us to address priority bilateral issues, as well as multilateral matters, including our participation in the Summit and meetings with the Association of Caribbean States.
In your visit to the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, what were the main topics discussed with the Emirate’s leadership, and how do you see Ras Al Khaimah contributing to the development of stronger economic, commercial, and cultural ties between Guatemala and the United Arab Emirates?
We also had the opportunity to visit the Emir and the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, where we held discussions aimed at advancing relations with the states that make up the United Arab Emirates. We believe that this agenda can be developed on multiple levels. During this visit, we were able to learn about the major projects currently being implemented in the Emirate—projects that align closely with Guatemala’s interests and priorities.
We discussed economic and commercial matters, investment and infrastructure projects, as well as initiatives related to cultural exchange. We extended an invitation to His Highness to visit our country as a way of reaffirming Guatemala’s presence in the United Arab Emirates and in each of its Emirates, exploring new economic and commercial opportunities, and strengthening cultural and educational cooperation through exchanges.
It was an open and constructive political dialogue, with very clear mutual interests, and we formally invited him to visit Guatemala in the coming months, ideally within this year.
Regarding your official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, what were the main goals of this trip, and what key agreements or strategic opportunities do you believe will shape the next phase of Guatemala–Saudi relations?
As part of the agenda for the visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we began with a meeting with His Highness, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, for a broad exchange in which we highlighted the excellent state of diplomatic relations between Guatemala and Saudi Arabia, as well as the shared desire to further energize this relationship and promote cooperation in areas such as politics, the economy, culture, and education.
Guatemala recognizes the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner with whom we share fundamental principles, including peacebuilding, tolerance, justice, and solidarity. This meeting marked the beginning of our agenda in Saudi Arabia.
In addition, we had the opportunity to hold meetings with the Saudi Fund for Development, through which we identified areas of common interest aligned with the Fund’s priorities and its work with countries around the world, including in Latin America and Central America. We expressed our interest in strengthening engagement, defining areas of cooperation, and presenting concrete projects. We established a forward-looking agenda aimed at identifying and formulating high-impact projects in areas of shared interest.
We also visited the Expo, where Guatemala formally delivered its note confirming its participation and commitment to Expo 2030. The original note was handed to His Excellency the Minister, along with an invitation for him to visit Guatemala once again. He previously visited our country in past years, returned with a very positive impression, and after 2023 expressed his interest in visiting Guatemala again, which is why the invitation was extended.
Regarding the Expo, Guatemala has participated in similar global events in the past and values these platforms as important showcases at the international level. The vision and themes of Expo 2030 are fully aligned with Guatemala’s own vision for its medium- and long-term future.
To conclude the visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we held a meeting with the authority responsible for digital cooperation. This is an area in which Guatemala has much to learn from countries that are more advanced in this field, and we therefore consider this engagement to be extremely valuable. Overall, the visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was entirely positive and represents an opportunity that must be seized. I would say that both before and after this visit, a new phase in the relationship between our two countries should be clearly marked.
Closing Remarks from Carlos Ramiro Martínez.
In conclusion, I believe that the visits to both countries were highly positive. They can be summarized in a series of activities scheduled for the coming months, including initiatives that extend all the way to 2030, such as participation in Expo 2030 in Saudi Arabia. In the case of the United Arab Emirates, Guatemala has maintained a formal presence since 2019 through an embassy that has been very active and to which we are seeking to bring renewed momentum.
As I mentioned earlier, the visit by Guatemala’s Minister of Foreign Affairs should mark a clear before and after in our relations with both countries. These are two important nations on the international stage, strategic due to the role they play within the multilateral agenda. It is with them that we seek to work jointly and concretely toward trade agreements, consultation mechanisms, investment initiatives, and tourism promotion. It is an agenda that remains to be developed.
(C) latingulf.ae 2026
