Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's trip next week to four Latin American countries marks the rising importance of the region, German government sources said Thursday.
The growing economies of the region, with powerhouses like Brazil and Mexico, had added to its political significance, they said.
The highpoint of the chancellor's trip, which begins on Tuesday and ends on May 20, is to be her participation in the fifth European Union-Latin American and Caribbean Summit (EU-LAC) to be held May 16-17 in Lima.