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North & Central America and Caribbean
Mexico |
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Last reviewed: 10 September 2009 |
Country information
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Mexico's foreign policy is traditionally non-interventionist. Recently, under former President Fox and now under President Calderón, Mexico has developed a more dynamic foreign policy and become a more active participant in multilateral affairs, climate change, human rights and regional issues. For example, Mexico has been active as a member of the G8/G5 grouping, has participated in the G20 forum and as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2009/10.
Relations with Neighbours
Mexico has good relations with the US and Canada, its partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement (1994) –which created the world’s largest free trade area, linking 439 million people producing $15.3 trillion worth of goods and services annually. Millions of Mexicans live in the US, often illegally, and a primary objective of Mexican foreign policy is to secure a framework for legal and safe immigration to the US, including the regularisation of illegal migrants already there. Mexico continues to encourage a global approach towards this subject stressing the contribution of migrant workers to the American economy and society.
The US-sponsored Merida initiative approved in March 2007 constitutes a significant aspect of US assistance to Mexico. The initiative is a commitment to help Mexico in its fight against the drugs cartels, $700m of funding in total has been granted for Mexico, with $450m still to be approved for 2010. The package includes $5m funding for human rights training for Mexican police, and $1m to support human rights monitoring by the UN High Commissioner for Human Right’s Office.
Mexico is keen to develop its relations with its southern neighbours in Central America. The "Puebla-Panama Plan " is designed to encourage comprehensive growth in Central America and nine southern states of Mexico, based on economic development, social inclusion and sustainable environment. Mexico has also developed a special relationship with the Caribbean region, through high-level meetings with Heads of State or Heads of Government of the region and the dialogue between Mexico and CARICOM.
Relations with Cuba are improving and diplomatic relations have been reinstated with Venezuela following the recall of Ambassadors in 2005.
Mexico's Relations with the International Community
Mexico has an active presence in the main international organisations where the UK has been an important actor. As a founding member of the United Nations, Mexico has remained a strong advocate of multilateralism. It served on the UN Security Council in 1946, 1980-81 2002-03, 2009-10. Mexico provided the first Chairman of the new Human Rights Council, is the only Latin American member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and is playing an important role in the current WTO’s Doha Development Agenda negotiations.
Mexico plays a pivotal role in several regional organisations and mechanisms, including the Organisation of American States, the Rio Group, the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, the North American Free Trade Agreement, the EU/Latin America and the Caribbean Summit, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (a grouping of Pacific rim countries).
Mexico also belongs to the G20 finance group of industrial countries and the G20 trade group of developing countries. It has participated in the G8+5 outreach group of emerging economies (along with India, China, Brazil and South Africa) since the 2005 G8 summit in Gleneagles.
Mexico hosted the WTO conference in Cancún in September 2003, the signing ceremony of the UN Convention Against Corruption in December 2003 and the 110th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in April 2004. The third EU/Latin America and Caribbean Summit was held in Guadalajara in May 2004. Mexico hosted the World Water Forum in March 2006 and a Post-Gleneagles follow-up Ministerial meeting on Climate Change in October 2006 in Monterrey and the “scaling up” workshop on climate change in Veracruz in July 2007.
Mexico hosted the Major Economics Forum in June 2009.
Mexico's Relations with the UK
Mexico and UK enjoy very good relations. President Calderón and Senora Zavala accepted an invitation from HM The Queen for an official State Visit to the UK in March 2009. Previously, Calderon and five of his Cabinet Ministers visited the UK in January 2007, meeting the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Foreign Secretary. There have been a large number of other recent inward and outward visits – see section below.
In December 2007, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office hosted the High Level Economic Talks between the UK and Mexico. Mexico reciprocated by hosting the talks in December 2008.
In April 2008, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office hosted the annual High Level Political Talks between the UK and Mexico.
At all these meetings, a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues were discussedresulting in, among other things, a bilateral agreement on the urgency of tackling climate change, a memorandum of understanding on Money Laundering, and a joint action plan between UKTI and ProMexico to promote bilateral trade and investment.
Cultural Relations with the UK
The British Council Mexico, based in Mexico City, promotes educational and cultural relations between the UK and Mexico.
British Council, Mexico
Recent Inward Visits
2009
- President Calderon with Senora Zavala and Cabinet Members for the State Visti.
- Vice Foreign Secretary, Lourdes Aranda
2008
- Foreign Secretary, Patricia Espinosa
- Luis Tellez, Secretary of State for Transport and Communication
- Human Rights Commission from the Mexican Chamber of Deputies
2007
- President Felipe Calderón and five Cabinet members.
- Dr Agustin Carstens, Finance Secretary of State.
- Martha Delgado, Secretary of the Environment of Mexico City.
- Dr. José Asomoza, Director General of the Centre for Advanced Research (CINVESTAV) together with five other officials from CINVESTAV’s regional offices.
- Fidel Herrera, Governor of the State of Veracruz.
- Dr. José Angel Córdova Villalobos, Secretary of State for Health.
- Judicial delegation, 16 member delegation of prosecutors, investigative police, judges, etc. (British Council/GOF).
- Mr. Jose Fernando Gonzalez, Under- Secretary for Basic Education, Ministry of Education (UKTI).
- Mexican Federal Competition Commission
2005
- President Fox visited the UK as part of the G8 outreach session on the global economy and climate change at Gleneagles and as a Guest of the Government in November 2002.
2009
- Ed Miliband, Minister for Energy and Climate Change
- John Sawers, UK Permanent Representative to the UN
- Anwar Choudhury, FCO Director for International Institutions
- Jonathan Porritt, Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission
2008
- Lord Digby Jones, Minister for Trade and Investment
- Meg Munn, FCO Minister for Mexico and Central America
- John Ashton, Special Representative for Climate Change, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
2007
- The Lord Mayor of London visited Mexico in September 2007.
- The Foreign and Commonwealth Minister for Mexico and Central America, Meg Munn, visited Mexico in September 2007.
2006
- The Foreign Secretary and the Environment Secretary visited Mexico. During the visit, the Foreign Secretary signed a Sustainable Development Dialogue between the UK and Mexico.
- Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett visited, for the post-Gleneagles follow-up Ministerial meeting on Climate Change in Monterrey. Environment Minister, David Miliband, and Energy Minister, Malcolm Wicks, also attended the event.
- The Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, attended the inauguration of President Calderón on 1 December 2006 in Mexico City.
2005
- FCO Minister for Latin America, Lord Triesman, held productive talks with Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister.
2004
- FCO Permanent-Under-Secretary (FCO) visited for the annual round of High Level Talks, which covered a range of global and regional issues of mutual interest, including UN reform.
2003
- Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry led the UK delegation to the WTO Conference in Cancun in September. Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs also attended.
- Baroness Scotland represented the UK at the signing of the UN Convention Against Corruption.
- Lord Levy, the Prime Minister's Personal Envoy, visited Mexico in November.
2002
- Bill Rammell paid an official visit in December.
- The Prince of Wales visited Mexico in March 2002.
2001
- First bilateral visit to Mexico by a serving Prime Minister, together with Baroness Symons.
