en.Wedoany.com Reported - The European Union has announced an investment of over €260.8 million (approximately R$1.35 billion) to extend the EllaLink submarine cable infrastructure to the Brazilian states of Pará and Maranhão, and to add new connections to French Guiana and the Caribbean, aiming to strengthen digital connectivity between Europe and Latin America.

The announcement was made by EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela, during the second EU-Brazil Investment Forum in Brasília. Síkela stated that the investment is part of the "Global Gateway" strategy, which aims to fund strategic infrastructure projects identified by the EU. In his speech, he emphasized the need to build partnerships that enhance resilience across the Atlantic and support global diversification.

According to information shared by Síkela on social media, the project will be financed in cooperation with the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The package also includes a grant specifically aimed at improving connectivity for remote communities in the state of Amazonas.

EllaLink, the first submarine cable to directly connect Europe and Latin America without passing through North America, entered service in 2021. The system links Sines, Portugal, with Fortaleza, in the Brazilian state of Ceará, reducing communication latency between the two continents and expanding data transmission capacity. Síkela stressed that the initiative differs from models focused solely on resource extraction or short-term commercial gains, aiming instead to foster local value creation, attract private investment, and strengthen economic integration between Brazil and the EU.

This investment in EllaLink was one of the main announcements at the second EU-Brazil Investment Forum. The forum also launched several initiatives related to renewable hydrogen, critical minerals, green transport corridors, and financing for sustainable infrastructure projects.