Mexico and Indonesia Can Work to Bring Asia and Latin America Closer

Jakarta Globe, Jose Antonio Meade Kuribrena, June 15, 2013

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Mexico’s multilateral engagement stems from a basic principle of our foreign policy — to play a responsible and increasingly influential role in the construction of emerging international constructions.

To this end, we need to engage key partners, and many of whom currently found both across Asia and Latin America.

Both regions have become key players whose political and economic weight cannot be overlooked as the world sets out to secure a better standard of living for the world’s population based on more effective international institutions, deeper cooperation on development and more democratic decision-making processes.

Both regions rank high in Mexico’s priorities, as President Enrique Pena Nieto’s recent activities have shown, such as a very productive visit to China and Japan last April and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s successful recent state visit to Mexico, welcoming in a new era of relations between the two countries.

Equally important has been Mexico’s work with Latin American partners in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States created in Mexico in 2010 and in the Pacific Alliance, a multilateral and ambitious Latin American integration effort centered on free trade and a clear orientation toward Asia.

Indeed, both the Asia-Pacific and Latin America stand as fresh engines of growth in a world with a need for renewed cooperation, dialogue and leadership among industrialized countries striving for economic recovery and political revitalization.

This is why the Forum of East Asia-Latin America Cooperation matters as a tool to facilitate and strengthen cooperation between our countries, and serve as an important piece in the new global architecture we are creating.

Working relationship

Similarities as emerging nations may lead to plenty of opportunities to work together on joint development projects that will greatly benefit our societies.

Cross-regional dialogue within FEALAC means the possibility to exert a positive influence in areas such as sustainable development, climate change, the UN Millennium Development Goals, the World Trade Organization’s Doha Development Round and much more.

Firstly, it is important to agree on a strategy to revitalize the Forum itself, give it more international visibility and lay the groundwork for increased and truly bi-regional cooperation among member countries.

Successful practices and experiences can be shared with other organizations, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and the CELAC-European Union summit mechanism to identify viable proposals to help deepen relations between all regions involved.

To improve the way specific groups go about their tasks by, for instance, reinforcing methodology and establishing terms of reference and monitoring guidelines, as well as exploring more general ways to strengthen cooperative organizations’ structure and high-level meeting strategy.

It is regarding this that relationships between Indonesia, a rapidly developing and diverse country, become more crucial than ever.

Mexico’s role

In this spirit, it is important to underline that Mexico stands ready to implement all the recommendations included in FEALAC Vision Group’s report.

We are aware of the importance of this moment in the history of relations between East Asia and Latin America.

Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and one of the fastest growing economies in the region.

As co-chair of this 6th Forum’s meeting, Indonesia will certainly facilitate making progress to improve development strategies in our respective regions.

To Mexico, Indonesia is a gateway to Asia. Our diplomatic relations are reaching the 60-year mark and we can say that over this period our governments and societies have adapted successfully to the many challenges we have faced, with our economies contributing responsibly to finding solutions to global issues concerning us all.

Multilaterally, Mexico and Indonesia cast similar votes in the United Nations 85 percent of the time, meaning our countries do share a significantly common perspective on global issues.

Besides, Mexico and Indonesia are also part of key multilateral forums — like the G20, APEC and certainly FEALAC — where our input and leadership have proved fundamental for establishing the foundations for numerous agreements that led to concrete action by all actors.

This anniversary is indeed a welcome opportunity to take stock of what we have achieved already and to identify the areas requiring a closer look.

Such an appraisal will show our excellent relations for six decades can serve as a solid foundation for fine-tuning a partnership that has flourished politically, economically and culturally, and will hopefully continue to do so well into the future.

Last March I was honored to welcome Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marty Natalegawa, to Mexico City.

On that occasion, I stressed the importance of giving more content to our relations by signing the agreements we have already negotiated and finalized, in areas as diverse as air transport, tourism and health, to mention a few.

As part of my visit to Indonesia this week, I would like to convey to the Indonesian government and people a message of friendship and cooperation from President Pena Nieto.

I would also like to convey his intention to participate in the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Bali next October.

Indonesia’s priorities for this summit coincide with many of Mexico’s development objectives, which add to our interest in joining forces with the Indonesian government in making the APEC meeting a success.

Mexico and Indonesia represent the good tides and fair winds that currently benefit both Latin America and Asia Pacific. Let us take advantage of this circumstance to come closer and work hand in hand for the benefit of our peoples.

Sixty years of friendship are undoubtedly a solid base on which to build a common future.

Jose Antonio Meade Kuribrena is Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs.