FOREIGN SECRETARY MEADE MEETS WITH DANISH FOREIGN MINISTER VILLY SØVNDAL

Foreign Secretary José Antonio Meade and Danish Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal met today in the Foreign Ministry to review the bilateral and multilateral agendas in detail. They highlighted the similar positions of Mexico and Denmark regarding disarmament, arms trafficking, environment, energy and human rights, among other key international topics.

The two officials identified opportunities for trade, tourism, education and culture so that the bilateral relationship could benefit from Mexico’s relationship with the European Union, overall.

During the meeting, they discussed the economic and commercial aspects of the relationship.

Denmark has become the sixth-largest investor of the European Union countries in Mexico, the largest from among the Nordic countries and the eleventh worldwide, with an accumulated total from January 1999 to December 2012 of 1.762 billion dollars. The two officials stressed that Mexican and Danish companies have gradually expanded their presence in various sectors, citing the case of the Mexican company, Envases Universales (Universal Packaging), which made its first investment in Denmark by acquiring Glud & Marstrand, a European leader in the production of metal containers.

As regards Denmark, the Danish company APM Terminals, which operates ports and is a subsidiary of the A.P. Møller Maersk conglomerate, invested 900 million dollars in the construction of a container terminal at the port of Lazaro Cardenas, and the case of Lego, which has invested 500 million dollars since 2008 with the expansion of its production facilities in Monterrey.

They applauded the negotiation of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Mexico and Denmark worked together closely to promote the treaty in the United Nations General Assembly, especially during the Final Conference, at which the agreement was adopted.

Meade and Søvndal agreed on the advantages of free trade and on fighting protectionism, and further agreed to work together within the major economic organizations to address the challenges of the current global economic situation.

They reaffirmed that the 3GF Forum (Global Green Growth Forum) is an ideal opportunity for exploring public-private sector solutions to the challenge of transitioning to green economies. They emphasized the importance of achieving synergies with the Green Growth Action Alliance, G2A2. The next 3GF Forum will take place in October 2013.

Both countries pledged to give impetus to joint cooperation initiatives for low-carbon development and ways to mitigate climate change.

Foreign Minister Søvndal highlighted the upcoming visit of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary with a business delegation in November 2013 as a good opportunity to renew the bonds of friendship between Mexico and Denmark, in strategic areas such as trade and investment, as well as culture.

They applauded the upcoming opening of the exhibition "Frida Kahlo: A Life in Art" at the Arken Museum of Modern Art in Denmark. The exhibit, considered the most important exhibit of Mexican painting in a Scandinavian modern art museum, will run from September 7, 2013 to January 12, 2014.