(LIMA) - Leaders from Latin America and the European Union discussed ways of tackling poverty and climate change, while struggling with differences over trade, at a summit in Peru Friday.

Some 50 leaders attended the event under heavy security, including European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Argentine President Cristina Kirchner and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Issues such as the recent spike in food prices, and the rising demand for energy in developing nations, were also on the table.

Zapatero took the initiative on problems in tying up an EU free trade deal with Central American and Andean countries by next year, telling the other leaders that "maximum priority" should be given to resolving outstanding issues.

"We can't arrive at our next meeting in 2010 (in Spain) without having managed to do so," he said, saying the accords would be the best way to reduce social inequalities.

Personality conflicts between some of the attendees were put aside for the duration of the summit.

Chavez, who had needled several Latin American and EU leaders ahead of the meeting, made a point of telling reporters that he had kissed and made up with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

On the weekend, he had claimed Merkel's center-right ruling party was of the same movement in Germany that had "supported Hitler," after she had urged other Latin American nations to distance themselves from him.

"Cristina (Kirchner, the Argentine president) was there. I gave a kiss on the cheek to her and to the German chancellor and I apologized to German Chancellor Angela Merkel for having insulted her," Chavez said.

"I didn't come here to fight," he added.

There was no overt thawing of relations between Chavez and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, however.

The leaders of the two neighboring South American countries are locked in a feud over a FARC rebel computer captured by Colombian forces in March that is alleged to hold proof of Chavez giving material support to the Colombian guerrilla group.

Uribe, before and during the summit, called on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to release hostages they are holding, including the Franco-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt.

Fillon was to use the summit to maintain French pressure for the hostages' release, with sideline meetings scheduled with the leaders of Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador.

The summit was due to close with a joint declaration that will recommend ways to tackle global warming and the food crisis and to stem the trade in narcotics.

The absence of several heavyweight leaders -- notably British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi -- somewhat undermined the event's significance, however.

A parallel "people's summit" organized by leftwing groups was held at the same time as the summit, and was to host appearances by Chavez and his socialist ally, Bolivian President Evo Morales, later Friday.

Summit EU - LAC

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