The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Mexican States on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen decades-old ties.

Relations between the two parties, which was formalised in 1974 with the Agreement establishing the CARICOM-Mexico Joint Commission, was reinforced on 30 October 2019 with the accreditation of His Excellency Jose Omar Hurtado Contreras, new Ambassador of Mexico to CARICOM.

In his remarks during a brief ceremony at the Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat, Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque said that the Agreement has been the framework through which Mexico has supported regional development in a number of areas.

In a release the Caricom Secretariat said Mexico has strengthened capacity by offering training courses to CARICOM nationals in agriculture, transportation, disaster management, education, climate change, trade and investment, and tourism. CARICOM Member States have benefitted from Mexico’s Infrastructure Fund for MesoAmerican and Caribbean Countries which has financed the building and restoring of roads, bridges and health facilities, as well as building capacity in utilities.

Noting that this support has been highly appreciated, he lauded Mexico’s generous assistance to the countries that were devastated by hurricanes in recent times.

“Your ready response was another indication of the solidarity we share,” Secretary-General LaRocque said.

He told the new Ambassador that CARICOM is looking forward to Mexico’s continuing advocacy of the concerns of Small Island and Low-Lying Coastal Developing States (SIDs) in the international area on issues including access to concessional financing for development needs.

“CARICOM greatly appreciates Mexico’s understanding of the challenges facing our Member States.  We welcome Mexico’s willingness to advocate on issues of utmost importance to us and other SIDS, and to reflect CARICOM’s concerns at the level of the G20, the OECD, the World Bank and the IMF,” Secretary-General LaRocque said.

The newly accredited envoy said international cooperation, particularly towards Latin America and the Caribbean, occupies “an important place” in his country’s foreign policy.

“…there is much interest in developing the links between Mexico and CARICOM, in areas such as institutional strengthening, public health, climate change, security and organized crime,” Ambassador Contreras stated.

Reaffirming that his country is “open to exploring issues in which our experience can help the welfare of CARICOM member countries,” he said Mexico’s objective is to “contribute to the development of sister countries, enhance regional integration, competitiveness and even development.”

The CARICOM Secretary-General noted that common interest between the two parties have been reflected both at the regional and hemispheric levels in the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and the Organisation of American States (OAS).

“Ambassador, the value that your country places on multilateralism, respect for international law and international cooperation is well known.  The Caribbean Community shares the importance your country places on the fundamental international principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of states, non-intervention and prohibition of the threat or use of force,” Ambassador LaRocque told the new Mexican envoy.

In that regard, he referenced the establishment of the Montevideo Mechanism in which Mexico played a key role in collaboration with Uruguay and the CARICOM good offices group.

“Promoting and facilitating a peaceful internal resolution to the crisis in Venezuela in accordance with the constitution of the country, the rule of law and democracy remains the desired objective of the Mechanism,” the CARICOM Secretary-General stated.