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The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland, Mr Simon Coveney, T.D., hosted the Deputy Foreign Minister of Mexico, Ambassador Carlos de Icaza, for a wide-ranging and constructive meeting in Iveagh House to discuss the continued positive development of political, trade and people-to-people relationships between Ireland and Mexico.

2. Minister Coveney’s meeting brought to a conclusion the latest round of regular bilateral talks between Ireland and Mexico which took place in Dublin on 15 November 2017, following on the previous round of talks which took place in 2015 in Mexico City. The Irish delegation for the talks was led by the Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Mr. Niall Burgess, while the Mexican delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister de Icaza.

3. At the outset of the talks, the Irish side expressed condolences for the loss of life and damage caused by the earthquakes in Mexico in September 2017. Ireland was pleased to make a contribution of over €300,000 through its participation in the Start Fund to recovery efforts following recent natural disasters in Mexico. Deputy Foreign Minister de Icaza thanked Ireland for their support during the recovery stage.
4. The two sides discussed the bilateral relationship, including a review of high-level visits and engagements. The Irish side recalled the successful visit of President Michael D. Higgins to Mexico in October, 2013, which built on Ireland’s already warm relationship with Mexico. Ireland looked forward to inward high-level visits from Mexico in the coming years.
5. The discussions reaffirmed the strong historical and contemporary ties that bind the two countries together and provide a solid foundation for the current and future development of the Ireland-Mexico relationship.
6. The Irish side briefed on its commitment to deeper bilateral engagement with Mexico, to expanding Ireland’s presence in Latin America, in particular through the recent announcement of two new diplomatic missions in the region and the forthcoming Americas Strategy, and on its ideas for strengthening Ireland’s relationship with the Pacific Alliance.
7. On the economic relationship, the two sides welcomed the continued strong performance of trade in goods and services between Ireland and Mexico, which reached over €2.4 billion in 2015. There was agreement on the need to further develop trade and investment links and to promote tourism between the two countries to mutual advantage.
8. Ireland and Mexico expressed their commitment to a comprehensive and ambitious upgrade of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement, which is currently under negotiation and will generate new trading opportunities for Irish and Mexican exporters and investors, and looked forward to an early conclusion to the discussions.
9. Recalling the long-standing and successful cooperation between Ireland and Mexico at the United Nations and recognising the commonality of interests on a range of issues of global concern, the two sides discussed how they might further cooperate in the multilateral arena, including on disarmament & non-proliferation and UN peacekeeping, and explored options for institutional cooperation between the respective foreign ministries.
10. Ireland and Mexico exchanged views on good practice on diaspora and migration, and shared updates on bilateral agreements and memoranda.
11. The two sides considered the existing potential for deepening bilateral cooperation in the science & technology, education and agricultural sectors. They discussed possibilities to encourage innovative collaboration on development cooperation in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.
12. The two sides discussed the political situation in Latin America and exchanged views on their respective relations with the United States.
13. There was an exchange of views on the UK’s departure from the European Union and on EU-Latin America relations.
14. Discussions were conducted in a cordial and productive atmosphere and they concluded with the two countries committing to the continued strengthening of bilateral relations in the period ahead.