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)