AMBASSADOR RUBEN BELTRAN PRESENTS HIS DIPLOMATIC CREDENTIALS TO RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN

Ambassador Ruben Beltran presented his diplomatic credentials accrediting him as Mexico’s ambassador to Russia today to President Vladimir Putin.

Ambassador Beltran was received by the president in a formal ceremony this morning in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

During the ceremony, the Mexican ambassador conveyed to President Putin greetings from President Enrique Peña Nieto, who is scheduled to visit St. Petersburg in September for the G20 Leaders’ Summit. He said that the Mexican president’s visit to Russia would provide the opportunity to strengthen the bilateral political dialogue and to make progress with the agenda that Mexico and Russia have planned for the G20.

Ambassador Beltrán said that he had received instructions from President Peña Nieto and Foreign Secretary José Antonio Meade to strengthen the economic relations between the two countries and to promote a broad agenda of cooperation to help achieve the development goals set by the new Mexican administration.

President Putin, who was accompanied by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, said Russia is interested in "strengthening its traditionally constructive relationship with Mexico, particularly in the areas of energy, engineering, agriculture and aerospace." He said he was interested in "continuing our active cooperation in the multilateral forums" and said Russia is “taking into account the experience of Mexico’s presidency of the G20 in 2012."

Ambassador Ruben Beltran is a career diplomat. He joined the Mexican Foreign Service in 1981 and rose to the rank of ambassador in 2005.

At the Foreign Ministry, he has been Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean (2010-2012), Director General for Latin America and the Caribbean (1999-2001), Director General of Consular Affairs  (1997-1999), Director General of Legal Affairs (1993-1994)  and Technical Secretary of the Mexican Commission for Cooperation with Central America (1991-1992).

Abroad, he has been Mexico’s Consul General in New York (2007-2010) and head of the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix, Arizona (2001-2003).