THE FOREIGN SECRETARY INAUGURATES THE 24TH MEETING OF AMBASSADORS AND CONSULS

Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade Kuribreña inaugurated the 24th meeting of ambassadors and consuls today. The meeting brings together Mexico’s diplomatic representatives abroad.

STENOGRAPHIC VERSION OF THE REMARKS BY FOREIGN SECRETARY JOSÉ ANTONIO MEADE KURIBREÑA AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE 24TH MEETING OF AMBASSADORS AND CONSULS

Esteemed Former Foreign Secretaries of Mexico;
 
Governors;

Legislators;

Ambassadors and Consuls of Mexico;

Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited in our country;

Colleagues of the Foreign Ministry;

Friends:

Welcome to this 24th meeting of Ambassadors and Consuls of Mexico.

On behalf of the President, Enrique Peña Nieto, and on my own behalf, thank you for joining us and I wish you health and prosperity for the new year.

I thank the distinguished academics, business executives and senior government officials who have joined us. I especially appreciate the ambassadors emeritus and eminens who have honored us with their presence.

Everyone has interrupted their various responsibilities in order to be with us at this meeting. I thank you very much, both as Foreign Secretary and personally.

As in previous years, this meeting allows us to come together to discuss the state of our international relations and, in particular, the challenges and opportunities that come with a new year. This year, we will do this from the perspective of a new administration.

As I said when I arrived here, I know that the Ministry is characterized by its dedication to service, that the Mexican diplomats and Foreign Ministry officials are distinguished by their sincere patriotism and serious and professional work. This is true for the members of the Mexican Foreign Service and also for those who, without being part of it, perform work essential to the success of our foreign policy. This is a dynamic that mutually enriches us and has proved invaluable to the Mexican government.

I am aware of the work done, and done well, by the Foreign Ministry officials and Mexican diplomats on behalf of our fellow countrymen, and of their complex consular endeavors, delicate bilateral, regional and multilateral diplomacy, and their important efforts in cooperation and promotion.

I want to say that, as head of the Foreign Ministry, I am well aware of the value of your work in each and every one of these areas. You can count on me to continue supporting, developing and strengthening this very important professional corps. I know that the challenges we face are not necessarily commensurate with either the human or material resources at our disposal.

Over the years to come, we will have to work gradually, but steadily, to strengthen our capacity for action. Mexico relies on the dedicated, responsible and effective work of its diplomacy and this work, in turn, must be encouraged, supported and paid in accordance with the country’s requirements and the merits of this excellent professional organization.

We have a unique opportunity to build on the legacy we have received to reach higher and farther. Therefore, I want to publicly express my appreciation to Ambassador Patricia Espinosa, Mexico's former foreign secretary, and her closest associates: Lourdes, Julian, Norma, Juan Manuel, Julio, Rogelio and Arturo, for their outstanding work over the past years. We will build on the broad and firm foundation of a foreign policy that is serious, professional, responsible, recognized and respected within and outside of the country.

My respect and appreciation also go to Mexico’s diplomats who have given their best to achieve this prestige that has been increasing over the decades, to the retired ambassadors who are with us today, and to the foreign secretaries who, with clear minds and a steady hand, successfully lead the destiny of this institution.

I would like to thank Bernardo Sepulveda and Fernando Solana who, it is worth remembering, instituted the annual meeting of ambassadors and consuls; today we are holding the 24th of these meetings; Senator Manuel Camacho; José Angel Gurría, today the Secretary General of the OECD; Dr. Rosario Green; Dr. Jorge Castañeda; Dr. Luis Ernesto Derbez and Ambassador Patricia Espinosa. To those who are with us today, all our thanks. Thank you for being here.

As you know, at his inauguration, the President said we needed  and I quote: "For Mexico to be an actor with global responsibility. A country with that participates proactively in the world, is willing to encourage cooperation among nations, with a modern and innovative diplomacy."

This was the fifth of the five guidelines for his administration’s actions. As he, himself, said, this is about making Mexico into "a factor of stability in a troubled world, a voice that is heard, a voice that defends freedom and promotes a more just and sustainable world in the 21st century."

This goal, which corresponds to the Foreign Ministry, is in itself a huge responsibility. But the work of the Foreign Ministry is not limited to just one topic or one specific area of knowledge. By its nature, diplomatic work goes hand in hand with governance as a whole. There is not a single area of public policy that won`t benefit from the work we do here in the Foreign Ministry to make both Mexico and the world more prosperous, stable and peaceful.

The government guidelines that the President announced will shape the work of the Foreign Ministry and of Mexico’s diplomatic offices in all regions of the world. We will all work to meet the commitments and achieve the priorities of each area of the government.

The efforts to achieve a Mexico that is at peace—based on a renewed strategy of crime prevention and on strengthening the institutions responsible for combating impunity and for promoting peace and justice—can and should be able to count on the strong support of our diplomacy.

We must find and bring to the agencies involved in these efforts, the best practices, the support of multilateral institutions and the programs established in bilateral agreements that can strengthen and make more efficient the work of the areas responsible for security and law enforcement in our country.
The task of achieving an inclusive Mexico that successfully fights poverty and closes the gap of social inequality may, in the same way, be helped by more intensive work in the multilateral institutions to complement national efforts in development.

The strategy developed for the Millennium Development Goals has proven to be a powerful tool for transforming our country and we must ensure that the new global development agenda that will enter into force after 2015 is also an instrument for change and progress in Mexico and for the world at large.
 Achieving a quality education for all, so that our schools create free, responsible and active individuals who are citizens of Mexico and the world, must also be the challenge of each and every one of us in the Foreign Ministry.

The dialogue with international agencies with more knowledge and experience in education, as well as with countries whose practices are an example and inspiration for Mexico, is essential to complement the efforts of our educational officials. The reform that the President has undertaken in this area needs to rely on each and every one of us to actively promote this cause.

Of course, achieving a sustainable and prosperous Mexico that benefits all our fellow countrymen will require us to redouble our efforts of collaboration with other agencies to further expand and strengthen our economic ties abroad.

Bringing together the various elements involved in the presidential mandate to contribute to the domestic welfare, while at the same time playing a responsible and relevant role in the international arena is the challenge that those of us who have the privilege and responsibility to design, manage and implement Mexico’s foreign policy must face.

Mexico is, and is perceived as, a country with strong institutions that is making progress towards full and fair development, but there is still much that we can do to better position our country’s enormous potential.

A Mexico whose culture, values and strengths are better and more widely known abroad will help make our country an even more attractive place for economic and social exchanges, as well.
As the President said, "It's time to build and win the future," to make Mexico "a bold and daring country, prepared to compete and succeed."

It is our duty and responsibility to work to make all of this possible, so that through our foreign relations we contribute to the success of the government’s strategies in the domestic arena and to stronger ties abroad.

Mexico’s foreign policy must bring our capabilities and our goals as a country into alignment, according to the course outlined by the president, with full respect for the powers of the legislature.
This foreign policy must be effective and responsible, participatory and transparent. We will work with organized civil society, the productive sectors and academics, with the domestic and international media and with the various levels of government.

We have the vitally important task of working together to achieve both goals: on the one hand, our diplomacy must be an engine that powers national development based on the priorities set by the president and, on the other hand, it must contribute to shaping a world that is at peace, with the freedom, justice and development to which we aspire.

Such a world will protect and make possible the success of our efforts to promote the economic growth and development that we seek.

We will have a first opportunity to display our skills and ability to promote Mexico around the world in the candidacy of Dr. Herminio Blanco Mendoza. As you know, Dr. Blanco’s personal and professional qualities make him an ideal candidate to head the World Trade Organization. I am counting on each of you to campaign vigorously in order to bring to a successful conclusion this important task given us by President Peña Nieto.

Transforming Mexico means overcoming backwardness, apathy and the lack of confidence, not only in what we are but in what we can become: a bigger, more complete and fairer Mexico; a nation that offers the world of the 21st century the talent of its people, the wealth of its culture and the strength of its solidarity.

While we work to promote the five areas of the agenda that President Enrique Peña Nieto has set for us, we must develop a strategy to promote our values and interests that effectively positions us in the bilateral, regional and multilateral arenas. You are responsible for helping to strengthen this strategy and for creating the international conditions for it to be successful.

In North America, our challenge is to take advantage of the strong foundation we have laid and to transform a complex interdependence into shared prosperity.

In Latin America, we must lead the ongoing processes of political dialogue and economic integration and, especially, we must expand and diversify our cooperation in order to strengthen our ties with all of the nations in this region, which is a priority for Mexico.

In Europe, we must use the current situation as an opportunity and an incentive to strengthen our ties with countries with whom we are strongly united by our cultural heritage.

In Asia-Pacific, we need to expand and strengthen our relations with countries whose economic strength and international profile make them key partners in the 21st century.

In Africa and the Middle East, we must expand Mexico’s presence and make a sustained effort to build a relationship that has historically lacked this level of intensity, but has now created new opportunities for our country.

And, of course, we must continue to build on Mexico’s well-deserved recognition as a responsible global player and as a country that is sought out in the multilateral forums to find shared solutions to common problems. A country that participates in defining the rules that will govern international coexistence.
 Tlatelolco, Monterrey, Cancun and Los Cabos are names that evoke this determined and responsible effort to contribute to the common task of overcoming humanity’s biggest challenges today.

Clearly, we must deliver demonstrable results. I am convinced that, given the competitive international environment, Mexico must become much more competitive and that, in a dynamic international environment, Mexico must also become much more dynamic.

The process of transformation in which our country is engaged requires this. Mexico is fast becoming a nation that exhibits solidarity and cooperation in order to promote the development of other countries, particularly, but not exclusively, of those countries with which we have close ties, such as the Central American and Caribbean nations.

Therefore, international development cooperation will also be a priority for the Mexican Foreign Ministry, with strong support from other agencies and the private and social sectors, as well.

In a world with tremendous challenges that is suffering from threats to its stability and environment, where it is imperative to uphold the law, human rights and international treaties, Mexico should be a paradigm of stability, solidarity, commitment to sustained and sustainable development, legality, respect for human rights and international law.

We have a huge task ahead of us: that of showcasing our achievements and strengths, the good news that our country can give and give every day. Only then can we introduce Mexico to the world as it really is: a nation with an extraordinary cultural legacy, with a vibrant, democratic and pluralistic society, with an expanding economy that offers opportunities for mutually beneficial exchanges.

Achieving this will, in part, be our responsibility. Of each and every one of us. With your help, I'm sure we can make our foreign policy into a driving force that gives impetus to and strengthens Mexico’s development.

I thank all of our speakers and panelists for their support. And I thank all of you, ambassadors and consuls of Mexico, for your presence at this meeting.

If you could stand and if I may, I will formally open this important meeting. Today, January 7, 2013, in the Foreign Ministry, I am happy to inaugurate the 24th meeting of ambassadors and consuls of Mexico.
Before I hand over the microphone, I want to personally welcome the members of the first panel: Angel Gurría, Jaime Zabludovsky, Gabriel Guerra and Alejandro Ramirez. They will be moderated by Andrés Rozental, so that we have a broad and open discussion, given the talent of the brilliant and eloquent participants, so they can help put in perspective what it means for Mexico to be the responsible actor that we all hope to work towards together.

Thank you very much.