THE NEWS
Mexico, the United States and Canada will seek to strengthen existing ties in 2014 as they join to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Mexican Ambassador to Washington, Eduardo Medina Mora, said on Sunday that the nations would work on a new “strategic vision” at a February meeting, ensuring they make better use of new technologies and reflect the new regional reality in the field of energy.
“What we need to do now is build this new governmental vision so that through public policy focused on reducing the costs of transaction and increasing competitiveness in the region we can make much better use of the potential we still have,” Medina said.
The presidents of the three countries are scheduled to meet in Mexico in late February to discuss matters such as economic growth, science and technology, education and infrastructure.
Medina, who assumed his post in January this year, said that the NAFTA has better integrated production chains, focusing on automotive and electronic industries.
“Now it also involves the aerospace industry and the advanced manufacture of more sophisticated components,” he said.
He added that much of the progress witnessed in the U.S. -Mexico economic relationship during the 20 years of the agreement were down to the actions of businesses and not just governments.
“We’re going to protect, preserve and maximize the relationship we have through the North American Free Trade Agreement and above all, (so) that this is seen as a region competing and trading with Asia,” Medina said.
He went on to say that important improvements had been made in infrastructure in the border region, but that the area’s potential had yet to be realized. The North American Development Bank (NADbank) estimates that more than $1 trillion is needed to modernize infrastructure across the Mexico-U.S. border.
The Mexican government also stated its continued support for the NAFTA on Sunday, adding that it is fully committed to protecting the rights of Mexicans abroad. A Foreign Relations Secretariat (SRE) press release said that cooperation is vitally important to ensuring broader ties.
The SRE report said that Foreign Relations Secretary José Antonio Meade has promoted the rights and respect for migrants abroad. Both U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden visited Mexico this year when key agreements were reached on protecting migrants.
Canadian officials also traveled to Mexico this year to discuss measures to increase trade between the two nations.
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