Opinion - News Analysis   

India and Mexico in the 21st century

— PHOTO: AFP

A visitor looks at a display of Mexican artefacts at a preview of an exhibition to be inaugurated by Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Monday.

The Mexican people have always felt a great affection, admiration and respect for India, its history, and its contributions to universal culture. Mexico was one of the first countries to recognise India’s independence and establish diplomatic relations with this great nation. Since that time we have maintained close ties of friendship.

Our countries have played a valuable role on the international stage in favour of development and justice in the world. We share principles and views with respect to important issues on the global agenda and have cooperated closely in institutions and fora such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation, and the G8 Outreach Dialogue.

In recent years, our relations have been strengthened and have achieved a new dynamism. This takes place within the new foreign policy that my administration is promoting. Mexico’s challenge is to be capable of strengthening its position in the world and conducting an active and responsible foreign policy that enables us to transform our global interaction into benefits for the Mexican people and our partners and friends.

That is why my visit to India has the firm purpose of giving new impulse to all areas of our bilateral relations. Mexico wants to have more in-depth dialogue with India, have greater mutual understanding, more exchange between our societies, and stronger trade and investment ties.

We have reiterated to President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh my administration’s commitment and Mexico’s commitment to continue working diligently towards a relationship that benefits both countries.

In the area of trade and investment, it is noteworthy that our bilateral relations grow year after year. However, I believe that this relationship has not reached the true potential of our economies. Mexico and India can do much more. Our annual trade volume of $1,800,000,000 can be tripled in a few years to our mutual benefit if we work closely together to achieve this.

Investment from India can grow if we thoroughly explore the comparative advantages that Mexico offers to Indian businesspeople. On this visit, I am accompanied by outstanding Mexican businesspeople who want to explore for themselves the potential for trade and investment in India.

I am convinced that both the governments, as well as the private sectors of our respective countries, must intensify our efforts and work together through new programmes for promoting business and increasing trade liberalisation and investment flows. It is of fundamental importance that we foster a legal framework of certainty for the private sectors of our two nations. Therefore, within the framework of this state visit, India and Mexico will sign an Accord to prevent Double Taxation, which will refresh the institutional structure of our economic relations. Thus, we will multiply the economic benefits for our peoples.

My administration’s foreign policy operates on the premise of having more of the world in Mexico and more of Mexico in the world. More of the world in Mexico because we need investment to create jobs, as well as access to the most advanced knowledge, medicine, technology, art, culture and telecommunications. And more Mexico in the world to open new markets to Mexican products on all continents and to position our country as an important destination for investment.

Mexico offers businessmen around the world preferential access to the world’s markets through our network of 44 trade agreements. Our country is located at the crossroads of the world, where the main trade flows between Europe, America, and Asia come together.

Given our industrial complementarity, achieving more far-reaching economic relations with India is a priority for Mexico. There are many sectors in which we can work together, such as pharmaceuticals, the automotive industry, information technologies, biotechnology, energy and the environment.

The scientific and technological realm has a greater potential for collaboration than any other area of our bilateral relations. Mexico wants to establish communication networks between our scientific communities in fields such as electronics, the pharmaceutical industry, seismology, and the use of energy, water and the environment.

India and Mexico should work towards greater linkage between our research centres, our business sectors and institutions of higher learning. Reinforcing trade and investment relations is necessarily related to implementing bilateral programmes in the fields of science and technology.

Academic and educational exchange should undoubtedly play a major role in our bilateral relations. I intend to encourage the exchange of students and professors, so that with their help we can identify joint research projects from which new working dynamics between our nations will emerge. Mexico wants to see more Indian students and professors in our universities, and more Mexican students and professors in Indian centres of higher education.

By the same token, we should continue fostering and promoting the wealth and diversity of our nations’ cultural heritage. Mexican Nobel Prize winner and the former Ambassador to India, Octavio Paz, said that “all great things done by men have been born of dialogue.” I am firmly convinced that dialogue between the cultures of Mexico and India will enrich us both, and will enable us to build bridges to greater solidarity and tolerance among all of humankind.

During my stay in New Delhi, I will inaugurate an exhibition of pre-Hispanic art that demonstrates the greatness and flair of civilisations that flourished centuries ago in Mexico.

This will be the largest exhibition of pre-Hispanic art ever presented in Asia. Furthermore, at the Mumbai National Gallery of Modern Art, I will inaugurate an exhibition of works by Juan Soriano, one of the greatest masters of 20th century Mexican painting.

Mexico and India face the challenge of achieving greater development and equality in our societies on the basis of democracy. In this way, India and Mexico will be better prepared to meet the challenges of the future.

Democracy in our countries has made it possible for other nations to view us as reliable destinations for investment, which assists in laying solid foundations for industrial and technological growth and thereby offering Mexican and Indian families better opportunities for work and a better future for their children.

Mexico is a dynamic, modern nation, open to trade, a secure and reliable place to do business, and at the same time, a nation committed to democracy, human rights and the environment. We know that we have many views in common with India on these issues. We must continue strengthening our ties of cooperation so that, together, we continue to collaborate in building a better world, a more just world.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Free trade and new regionalism
Barcodes of life
The way forward for UPA and Left
India and Mexico in the 21st century
Another side of singer Bob Dylan
A response from the Pakistan People’s Party
We want our Pavarottis in person even more
Fears of recession in U.S.
Condemnable
On Hyderabad blasts
Needed, rethink
Deplorable

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu