The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, visited Mexico on 15 June 2023 to meet President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
This was the first visit of the head of the European Commission to Mexico in 11 years and it aimed to relaunch the bilateral relationship and the Strategic Partnership between Mexico and the European Union in all its dimensions.
The President of Mexico and the President of the European Commission held a dialogue in which they identified joint priorities and challenges such as the fight against inequality, the fight against poverty, human rights, the energy transition, the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, migration, health, inflation and food security and the defence of international law.
Mexico is the European Union’s second largest trading partner in Latin America and the Caribbean and, in turn, the European Union is Mexico’s third largest trading partner and the second largest investor in the country. In the light of this intense economic relationship, they agreed to pursue policies that promote sustainable, resilient and inclusive economic growth and development that favour social justice on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Presidents agreed on the objective of strengthening bilateral plans and programmes to promote greater mutual investment, technology and knowledge flows for the benefit of the respective societies. They exchanged on the opportunities offered by the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative for priority projects in Mexico, on sustainable finance, public health, vaccine production, sustainable energy including green hydrogen, and on sustainable water management. They agreed on the potential of Mexican initiatives such as Plan Sonora and the inter-oceanic corridor of the Istmo de Tehuantepec.
Both Presidents identified Mexico as a strategic energy, industrial and logistical hub to supply the North American and European markets, with a high potential in green hydrogen energy, and agreed that European investments will be important to contribute to its development.
In this context, they commended the signature today of the Joint Declaration of Intent between the Government of the Mexican United States and the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the strategy of sustainable financing in Mexico in the framework of the political relation between Mexico and the EU.
To develop a deeper political, trade and cooperation partnership, President López Obrador and President von der Leyen concurred on the importance of the draft modernised Global Agreement and agreed to expedite negotiations with a view to finalise the agreement before the end of the year.
They are committed to further boosting their close cooperation at bilateral, regional and global level, and to work together to reinforce the multilateral system. They reaffirmed their solidarity with the people of Ukraine after the Russian aggression and supported its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, as stated in the relevant UN Resolutions, in order to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The EU and Mexico remain committed to diplomacy.
They emphasised the joint commitment of the EU and Mexico to combat the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, recalling their devastating human and socioeconomic consequences.
They recognized the importance of a comprehensive approach to address migration and the necessity to create conditions for a sustainable livelihood and better social conditions for local communities in Central America.
They agreed that the Summit of Leaders of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union, held on 17 and 18 July 2023 in Brussels, Belgium, would enable the long-standing bi-regional partnership to be renewed and strengthened. They agreed on the important global role that this relationship of equals has in meeting the challenges of our time, including persistent inequalities, climate change and unprecedented global security threats.