Mexico wants to get closer to RI and ASEAN

Mexico wants to get closer to RI and ASEAN

JAKARTA (JP): Mexican Foreign Minister Jose Angel Gurria met
President Soeharto yesterday on the last day of his visit, aimed
at improving the states' relations.

During the 30 minute meeting Gurria was accompanied by Mexican
director general for Asian affairs Sergio Lay Lopez. Also present
were Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas and Mexican
Ambassador to Jakarta Joge Palacios Trevino.

Gurria arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday for a two-day visit, as
part of his ten-day tour of five Asian nations. The tour includes
Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Japan.

Speaking to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, Gurria said his
country was interested in becoming a discussion partner of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"Mexico aspires to become a partner in the sectoral dialogs
and we have asked to become members. So I'm going to ask Ali
Alatas to support our request to become partners," he said.

The two foreign ministers met on Tuesday afternoon.

After the meeting, Alatas told the press he was "sympathetic"
with the idea, but added that ASEAN was now reviewing the basis
of its relations with discussion partners.

"This process is still continuing so it is still difficult
(for us) to make a snap decision to accept a new dialog partner,"
Alatas said.

Formed in 1967, ASEAN comprises Brunei, Indonesia, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

It also meets several other countries in an attempt to foster
closer political and economic cooperation.

Gurria told the Post that one of the reasons that Mexico wants
to become a discussion partner is that it sees Southeast Asian
countries as the "engines of change, modernization and
integration"

"We want to share their experiences, see things that we can
apply in our country. We are particularly interested how these
countries have developed such a high savings rate," he said.

He maintained that since Canada and the United States, which
are partners with Mexico in the North American Free Trade
Agreement, are already discussion partners, it is reasonable for
Mexico to be one too.

He said that ASEAN could have access to the 90 million people
in the Mexican market and channels to other American countries.

"We both would benefit...in a number of areas where our
industries have developed quite dynamically," he said.

On Tuesday Gurria and Alatas signed an agreement on technical
and scientific cooperation between the two countries.

Without elaborating, Gurria later told journalists that in his
meeting with Alatas the two had "just agreed on another set of
agreements."

"We are trying to develop a much closer relationship
politically... also in terms of trade, and for that we are
looking at a number legal instruments," he said. He added that it
would be important to get as many projects going as possible.
(mds)