In 50 years of diplomatic relations, Mexico and T&T have built a strong relationship based on co-operation and friendship, spanning a wide variety of areas at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels.
Mexico shares with T&T its commitment to the preservation and sustainability of the Caribbean Sea, recognising it as the means that binds us as neighbours.
We also share the understanding that many of the challenges we face in the region require team work, permanent co-ordination and a vision of shared responsibility if we aspire to address them in a coherent and effective way.
Bearing this in mind, our countries are working closely in regional and international organisations, with very positive results. A good example of our synergy in regional affairs is the collegiate work we have achieved in the last four years to revitalise the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), headquartered here in your city.
Today the ACS is a more pertinent and efficient organisation focused in the promotion of projects with regional impact on environmental protection; tourism development; transport facilitation and connectivity; as well as risk management and prevention of disasters that adversely affect the lives and livelihood of millions of our peoples every year.
Another example worth mentioning of our co-operative work is the successful and vibrant engagement among our ministers attending the XII Conference of Defence Ministers of the Americas (CDMA) two weeks ago here in Port-of-Spain. The great effort displayed by T&T in its organisation and the high quality of the discussions, speak of the commitment and political will of our governments to address the enormous security challenges we face today.
As the Pro Tempore Presidency of the next CDMA Conference, Mexico is committed to continue the work started in Port-of-Spain for dealing with an ever more complex world from a multidimensional perspective.
On the bilateral realm, T&T is Mexico's main Caricom trading partner with nearly 400 million US dollars in goods and services traded every year. This exchange creates hundreds of jobs in both countries and has opened new avenues for interaction in areas of common interest such as infrastructure development and the oil and gas industry.
We also have a dynamic relationship in the field of education and human capital, where leading Mexican universities in partnership with the Mexican Government have opened their doors to graduate students of T&T, offering them post-graduate scholarships in a wide range of fields, from science and engineering, to humanities and the arts.
Furthermore, today we will sign a Memorandum of Understanding between Mexico and T&T's Diplomatic Academies to widen the horizons of our young diplomats through the mutual exchange of ideas, experiences and open discussions of the global challenges we both face today.
In light of the diverse interests that connect us, Mexico has every reason to look to the future with optimism between our nations. The strength, depth and common understanding of the opportunities in front of us, are good indicators that we are moving in the right direction.
Socorro Flores Liera,
Mexico's Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs for Latin America and the Caribbean