MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Science and technology to face a world of patents

Former Chilean president Ricardo Lagos recommended Mexico to invest oil surpluses in science and technology so as to have its own patents, or be condemned to pay for foreign produce.

"Mexico creates and registers its own patents or it will have to pay royalties for apples that are produced in other countries", warned Mr. Lagos during the annual convention of the Grupo Salinas, a Mexican consortium of telecommunication and trade.

According to the former Chilean president, Mexico must invest in science and technology "because that is the world of the future", with most of knowledge covered or under patents' protection.

Lagos said that was one of the main policies his administration was involved in helping among other things to reduce poverty from 40 to 18%.

Further on he warned that one of the biggest mistakes which governments commit is to employ those extraordinary oil surpluses in financing current outlays.

Another message from the former president to Mexican leaders was that Mexico must opt for a greater integration with South America, helping to build a model that respects differences.

"As president I always was of the idea that for us Latinamericans, it's most important that Mexico looks to the South".

"There are quite a few issues to talk with the neighbor from the north and we become more powerful and influential if we talk with Mexico on our side, and Mexico becomes more powerful if it talks jointly with the South, emphasized Lagos.

Finally Lagos said that the most valid scheme in the event of regional integration is one on the lines of the European model, "a variable geometry" which takes into account the peculiarities of each country member.