Mexican leader promotes regional integration
THE NEWS
President Enrique Peña Nieto called on the countries of Central America to work closely with Mexico to face common challenges on immigration and security issues on the eve of his official visit to Honduras.
In an article titled “Mexico and Honduras: Strategic partners for the prosperity of Central America” that was published on Wednesday by the Honduran newspaper La Tribuna, Peña Nieto said that his administration is committed to boosting cooperation with the Central American country on migration issues.
Thousands of Honduran citizens each year make the dangerous land journey through Mexico to the U.S. in search of a better future. They risk robbery, kidnapping and extortion from Mexican criminal groups on the way.
Peña Nieto, who arrived in Honduras on Wednesday, congratulated the country’s government on being the first in Central America to gain approval for financing from the Mexican government’s Central American and Caribbean Infrastructure Fund, which is underwriting the construction of the Villa San Antonio-Goascorán Highway.
“This is an example of Mexico’s consistent cooperation with the Central American region,” he said. “It shows Mexico’s desire to create a fruitful and strategic relationship that allows us to make our commercial ties more dynamic and create cooperation strategies to promote the development and prosperity of both peoples.”
Trade between Mexico and Honduras was worth $960 million in 2013, and Mexico represents the largest source of foreign investment in the Central American country. Peña Nieto said that the two countries are called to promote regional integration, adding that 2012’s Mexico-Central America Free Trade Agreement is an important step in the right direction.
“There’s still a lot to do to fully realize the commercial potential that we’re all aiming for,” he said. “The Mexico-Central America Free Trade Agreement is a vehicle that we can use to increase the flow of trade and investment, transforming them into sources of jobs and prosperity for both societies.”
He also invited Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández to attend the upcoming Association of Caribbean States (ACS) Summit and the Ibero-American Summit, both to be held in Mexico this year.
“We’re contributing our will and our efforts to the region to improve the quality of life of our people,” Peña Nieto said.
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