MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mexican leader in Bs As to sign strategic association

Pte. Felipe Calderon

Mexican president Felipe Calderón arrived in Buenos Aires late Sunday for a two-day official visit, during which he and President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner will make the first steps in the Strategic Association deal signed by the countries last year.

Mrs. Kirchner had a private meeting with Calderón late Monday morning and later inaugurated the Strategic Association Council between the two nations. The deal was signed in July 2007, and in the period between January and August this year, commercial trade between the countries was at 1.8 billion US dollars and has increased 300% between 2002 and 2007. However, the Argentine Medium Business Confederation (CAME) revealed that, for the first time in eight years, trade between the two countries had registered a deficit, and warned of the need to establish stronger links. CAME said that "trade with Mexico is feeling the effects of the global crisis, and it needs a new boost to strengthen it." It also highlighted the "strategic importance" of Mexico for many industries, particularly the auto industry, which is currently experiencing the destabilizing influence of the crisis. The presidents are also scheduled to draw up a series of documents on agriculture, crime and law, strengthening cooperation in the fight against drug dealing and money laundering in the case of the latter two. Mexico's Calderón arrived with a delegation of businessmen, who will hold meetings with Argentine counterparts during the "Seminar on Business and Investment Opportunities between Argentina and Mexico". Mr. Calderón arrived from Lima, Peru where he participated in the APEC meeting and Mrs. Kirchner returned on Saturday after touring North Africa on a trade mission, which was described as "very successful" by Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana. She visited Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, where she met with presidents and where government officials organized trade forums with local businessmen. Agreements regarding trade, energy and cultural cooperation were signed. "The tour was very positive and, as a matter of fact, we've established many business opportunities between our businessmen and those from the countries we've visited," Taiana said upon his arrival to the Ezeiza airport. The North Africa tour "opened new important business opportunities" for the country, especially amid the international economic crisis, he added. Taiana also referred to the phone call the President held with US president elect Barack Obama while she was in Tunisia. Obama called to thank Mrs. Kirchner for congratulating him on his victory and said he wanted to meet her. "It was an opportunity for fundamental dialogue to contribute to the construction of a multilateral, balanced and less conflictive world," Taiana said. On Saturday, the Argentine President also highlighted the achievements of the tour. "This tour is part of a commercial and political opening towards the region, to which we are linked through shared interests since we are developing economies". Before travelling to North Africa, the President participated in a meeting of the G20 in Washington, US to discuss the current global financial crisis.