Monday, December 29, 2014

Mexico, Guatemala and Belize are working for Area Betterment

Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In 2014, Mexico’s cooperation with the countries on its southern border (Guatemala and Belize) made significant progress; the political dialogue was strengthened and impetus was given to new areas of cooperation in order to contribute to the development of the South-Southeast region of the country and to the border area.

In political-diplomatic developments, in 2014 President Enrique Peña Nieto held four meetings with Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina. Regarding Belize, the Binational Commission held its 8th meeting, which helped strengthen the bilateral legal framework and reinforce the positive interaction between this country and the Mexican states of Quintana Roo, Yucatan and Campeche.

On migration, in recognition of the dynamic with our neighbors on the southern border and with the goal of promoting the orderly and safe flow of people, from August to October the Foreign Ministry helped the National Migration Institute (INM) to issue the Regional Guest Card (TVR), and the Border Worker Guest Card (TVTF), at the Mexican embassy in Guatemala City and the consulate in Quetzaltenango. More than 35,000 TVRs were issued in three months.

Regarding security and infrastructure, Mexico and Guatemala agreed to a modernization program for eight border crossing points and to formalize two more, which will not only allow for the safe and orderly movement of people, but will also promote international trade, improve fiscal controls and promote opportunities for economic development in the southeast region. These projects will be financed by the IDB with resources from the Central American Mezzanine Infrastructure fund.

On energy cooperation, in April Mexico and Guatemala signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a working group to evaluate the possibility of building a gas pipeline connecting the two countries to help meet the energy demands of Central America. The working group has conducted several technical meetings and is expected to have a final estimate of regional demand in the near future.

In the field of social development, Mexico and Guatemala have promoted an agenda that addresses the economic and social demands of the communities along the common border, while updating the socioeconomic diagnostic of the border region in order to launch a Mexico-Guatemala Cooperation Program.

In a first joint effort to enhance the actions of the Crusade against Hunger (Mexico) and Zero Hunger (Guatemala), both countries selected locations in Chiapas and San Marcos, Guatemala.

In 2015, the Foreign Ministry will continue to promote a broad agenda of cooperation with Guatemala and Belize in order to promote a more prosperous and secure southern border.

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Press release, Dec. 26, 2014, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), Mexico, DF; translation by SRE