Mexico's Calderon Seeks More European Investment
 Andrea Sosa Cabrios - Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Mexico City - Mexico wants to show Europe its potential as a land for investment and to diversify its political and commercial relations 'with areas of interest different from the United States,' Mexican President Felipe Calderon said before embarking on a week-long visit to Europe.
Calderon said in an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that his objective is 'to speak clearly of what Mexico is,' at a time when his government is fighting a determined war against powerful drug cartels.
'My aim is to place more Mexican products in Europe, to show the advantages and the believable commitment of the Mexican government to European investment that goes to Mexico, and also to open doors and destinations for European tourism to get to our country,' he said.
The United States is currently Mexico's main investor and trade partner, and the country that Calderon leads sends to its northern neighbour more than 80 per cent of all its exports.
Starting Sunday, the Mexican president is set to visit Italy, the Vatican, Belgium, France, Germany and Denmark, where he is to meet national leaders including new French President Nicolas Sarkozy, business leaders and Pope Benedict XVI.
In the German town of Heiligendamm, he will attend the G8 summit of the top industrialized nations and Russia, who this year have invited the five developing giants Brazil, Mexico, India, China and South Africa.
'I do not share the viewpoint that being a poor, developing, growing country must be synonymous with irresponsibility,' Calderon noted.
He said his government is regaining control of the country's territory in the face of the 'ferocity' of organized crime and is promoting an environmental agenda that is committed to fighting global warming and the respect of fundamental freedoms around the world.
'I do not want there to be accusations against countries, but a re-establishment of principles. If we do things the wrong way round, without establishing the principles, and countries start accusing one another, we are never going to be done with the task of setting a course,' Calderon noted.
In this context, he appeared ready to reverse the course of his predecessor and fellow-National Action Party member Vicente Fox. Under Fox's mandate, the country grew distant from communist Cuba, and Mexico and Venezuela withdrew their mutual ambassadors - a situation that began in late 2005.
'We have an interest in having good relations with all, with no distinctions, independently of the fact that Mexico will keep having its point of view and its opinion with regard to freedom, to democracy, to independence, to responsibility, to justice, to investment, to the market, to growth,' he stressed.
In this sense, the conservative Calderon - who stood by the claim that Mexico must be a leader in Latin America because of 'its size, history, roots and tradition' and beyond ideological differences - said that efforts towards restoring normal diplomatic ties with Venezuela and Cuba are moving along well, 'slowly but surely.'
Before leaving for Europe, Calderon indicated that, despite the difficulties, Mexico is a country 'with huge potentialities,' with an 'enviable' geographical position, with large natural resources and with a young, qualified population.
'(With Europe) we have a free trade agreement that we have not taken suitable advantage of, in such a way that I am interested in accelerating the possibilities for commercial and investment exchange,' the Mexican president stressed.
Calderon in the past said he is confident Mexico will climb from its current rank as the world's 10th largest economy to rank five by 2030. |
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Business News | June 2007 
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