Mexico, Iran joined hands will raise bilateral trade: Ambassador
By Sadeq Dehqan & Reza Abesh Ahmadlou
Staff writers
Mexico and Iran should join hands to boost bilateral trade, said United Mexican States Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran Guillermo Alejandro Puente Ordorica adding that the main obstacle in the development of economic cooperation between the two countries is the imposed sanctions on Tehran. Talking to Iran Daily, the envoy noted that another factor that has left a negative impact on the amount of economic exchanges between all countries, including Iran and Mexico, is the COVID pandemic, which has been over for about two years, but economic exchanges have not returned to the previous level. “Tehran and Mexico City can cooperate in many areas including tourism, oil and oil products, health, and auto parts to increase the amount of commercial exchanges,” Puente stated.
Referring to the sanctions, the ambassador of Mexico said his country’s stance regarding the sanctions against Tehran is completely clear. “Sanctions should be legal and based on the international law, as all countries should be treated fairly and in an equivalent way.”
Diplomatic amity
Puente pointed to the establishment of constructive discourses between Iran and his country, and said the Tehran-Mexico City relations should be expanded in numerous fields.
Regarding the history of relations between the two countries, he noted that there are both old and new relations between Iran and Mexico.
“The old relations are due to the fact that it has started in the late 19th century. On the other hand, the relations between the two countries are considered new because this year marks the 59th official anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries,” the top diplomat explained.
Two countries can cooperate with each other in many fields, including cultural fields, science and research and technology, Puente said adding that in his opinion, Iran has capabilities in various sectors that Mexico can take help from Iran to operate in the sectors, and on the other hand, Mexico enjoys its own potentials that Iranians can benefit from.
“Currently, the two countries are supporting each other in candidacy in various international bodies and institutions. As a result, it can be said that the will of cooperation between the two countries is established, but we must explore more to find ways of cooperation in other fields.”
More planning
on agenda
In the near future, a joint meeting will be held at the level of the ministries of foreign affairs in Tehran, the envoy announced noting that such a joint meeting has been held in the past and this time it will be hosted by Tehran, although the exact time has not been determined yet.
Establishing an inter-parliamentary dialogue between Iran and Mexico is another issue that efforts have been made recently, the envoy said adding that in this regard, about two months ago four Mexican MPs of the Iran-Mexico Parliamentary Friendship Group visited Iran to discuss with their Iranian counterparts. On the other hand, a parliamentary delegation from Iran is scheduled to travel to Mexico in October.
Establishing such diplomatic and political ties and visits indicates the political will of both sides to bring the two countries closer to each other, Puente stated.
Pointing to the similarities between the capitals of the two countries, the envoy explained: Mexico City and Tehran are structurally very similar to each other; In general, both are considered megacities and according to this, their problems are indeed common to each other.
“Mexico City enjoys valuable experiences in the field of fighting air pollution, how to equip public transportation, urban waste management, as well as the issue of earthquakes, as these experiences are also beneficial for Tehran.” Regarding the earthquake in Mexico City, many measures have been taken that can be shared with the city hall officials of Tehran, as we know that many people in Tehran are concerned about the earthquake and its consequences, the ambassador said.
In the mentioned fields, there has been no cooperation between the two countries so far, Puento noted adding that “As the ambassador of Mexico, I am interested in launching such cooperation so that the people and governments of the two countries can benefit from its results.”