Press Release No. 002

January 6th, 2014

The Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Jose Antonio Meade called Mexican diplomats to promote reforms and to seek opportunities for Mexico abroad

• The XXV Annual Meeting of Ambassadors and Consuls was inaugurated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• Diplomats, legislators and federal officials revisited Mexican foreign policy priorities

At the opening of the XXV edition of the Annual Meeting of Mexican Ambassadors and Consuls, Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Meade Kuribreña urged Mexicans diplomats to promote abroad the reforms undertaken by the government of President Enrique Peña Nieto and to vigorously promote the opportunities offered by the Mexican economy.

By fixing the four priority tasks of the Mexican diplomacy during 2014, the Foreign Affairs Secretary also urged ambassadors and consuls to consolidate Mexico as a major international player and to strengthen international cooperation with our country.

"Mexico is now recognized as an emerging economy of global importance, it is also considered a leader in Latin America and the Caribbean, it has proven to be a country aware of its duty towards its citizens and the international community", Meade said.

"All this establishes the basis for Mexico’s international activity as a major global player, committed to peace, international development and to its own welfare as a nation", he pointed out.

The message of Secretary Meade served to formally inaugurate the annual meeting of the Mexican diplomacy, which gathers 65 ambassadors, 56 consuls, 8 representatives before international organization missions, 4 former foreign affairs secretaries, 5 emeritus-ambassadors, and 6 distinguished-ambassadors and 39 retired ambassadors.

Members of the federal cabinet, governors, legislators and prominent national and international speakers will attend the meeting until Friday 10th.

Between now and Wednesday, heads of federal government agencies will explain Mexican diplomats the progress and future tasks related to the five government guiding principles established by President Peña Nieto, in order to achieve an inclusive, prosperous and peaceful Mexico, with quality education  and as an actor with global responsibility.

On Thursday and Friday, panels dedicated to analyze priority issues on the international agenda in Mexico will be held, including the projections for the G20, the new opportunities offered by the international environment for education and research, the challenges of the Development Agenda Post- 2015 and the present and future evolution of the Pacific Alliance.

During the opening session of the meeting, in which the president of the Senate, Raul Cervantes Andrade, and the Governor of the State of Mexico, Eruviel Ávila Villegas participated, Secretary Meade took the opportunity to review the achievements of the Mexican diplomacy to deploy Mexico as an actor with global responsibility.

Among the important achievements in 2013, Meade highlighted the consolidation of the Pacific Alliance, the strengthening of relations with the Caribbean and Central America, particularly with Cuba, and the redirection of the bilateral agenda with the United States on education and economic development.

The Foreign Minister also stressed the importance of the decisive approach with China and the strengthening of ties with other countries in Asia – Pacific, as well as the renewed contact with France.

Meade outlined that Mexico builds new spaces for political dialogue with countries like Indonesia, Turkey, South Korea and Australia, the group called MIKTA.

Prior to Secretary Meade’s intervention, Governor Ávila Villegas, as chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the National Conference of Governors (Conago, in Spanish), indicated that Mexico's image in the world has improved, while he stated that state leaders continue to be partners in the task of promoting the country.

Meanwhile, Senator Cervantes Andrade stressed the importance that Mexican diplomats are aware of the constitutional reforms taken place so that they can transmit worldwide in the most profitable way for Mexico.