URU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 89: Kopi af brev fra Mexicos ambassadør til Folketingets formand om den mexicanske regerings forhandlinger med den nye amerikanske regering

Udenrigsudvalget 2016-17
URU Alm.del Bilag 89
Offentligt

http://www.gob.mx/presidencia/en/prensa/with-the-united-states-we-do-not-wish-for-either-

confrontation-or-submission-the-solution-is-dialogue-and-negotiation-enrique-pena-nieto

With the United States, we do not wish for either confrontation or submission; the

solution is dialogue and negotiation: Enrique Peña Nieto

Our greatest priority is protecting Mexicans both inside and outside the country, he said.

It suits the United States for Mexico to do well and it also suits Mexico for the United States

to do well, he said.

Mexico does not believe in walls, our country believes in bridges, he said.

We will continue strengthening relations with various parts of the world, he said.

He outlined Mexico’s foreign policy position.

President Enrique Peña Nieto established two foreign policy priorities for the following years

of his Administration. The first is to strengthen Mexico’s presence in the world, in order to

diversify its political, trade, investment, tourism and cooperation links”.

“The second priority is to construct a new stage of dialogue and negotiation in bilateral

relations with the United States, based on an objective diagnosis: It is obvious that the United

States has a new vision for its foreign policy. Given this reality, Mexico is obliged to take

actions to defend its national interests".

At the Official Residence of Los Pinos, the Mexican president declared: “We obviously have

to begin a negotiation. There are some who, because of the tone of the electoral campaigns

in the United States, suggest that Mexico should adopt a position of confrontation; others,

seeing the asymmetries between the two countries, anticipate submission”.

“None of these positions is a solution. Neither confrontation nor submission. The solution is

dialogue and negotiation," he said.

“We are going to engage in a negotiation and in order for it to be successful, we must clearly

define the principles that will guide us and the goals we seek”, he said.

FIVE PRINCIPLES WILL GUIDE THE NEGOTIATION WITH THE UNITED STATES

He defined five principles that will guide the negotiation with the US government:

First: National sovereignty. “We are a sovereign nation and will behave as such. The

exercise of sovereignty implies that in the negotiation process, our only interest is that of

Mexico and Mexicans.

Mexico and the United States will engage in a dialogue as sovereign countries. We will do

so with confidence, dignity, firmness and confidence in our strength.

“Let us always recall that although relations with the United States are crucial for Mexico,

relations with Mexico are also of paramount importance for the United States,” he added.

Second: Respect for the rule of law, and respect for Mexican and US laws. “Mutual respect

for the rule of law in our countries is and will continue to be the basis of our interaction.

He said that, “Today more than ever, the motto of President Benito Juárez holds true: Among

individuals and nations, respect for the rights of others guarantees peace".

Third: Constructive, purposeful vision. “We are working on the principle that this should be

win-win negotiation. Accordingly, our position will be creative and open to novel, pragmatic

solutions, with an awareness of the new reality faced by the United States and the

international environment,” he said.

Fourth: Integration of North America. "Our region comprises three countries: their dynamism

and competitiveness depend on what Canada, the United States and Mexico do together”.

And the Fifth principle: Integral Negotiation. “Mexico will deal openly and fully with each of

the issues in our relations. We will discuss all the issues. Trade, but also migration and

security issues, including border security, terrorist threats and illegal drug, arms and money

trafficking.

URU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 89: Kopi af brev fra Mexicos ambassadør til Folketingets formand om den mexicanske regerings forhandlinger med den nye amerikanske regering

IN THE NEGOTIATION WITH THE UNITED STATES, WE WILL SEEK 10 OBJECTIVES

The president outlined 10 objectives that the Mexican government will seek in the

negotiation with the United States:

First: There must be a commitment by the US government to guarantee humane treatment

and respect the rights of Mexican migrants.

Second: The repatriation of undocumented migrants by the US government must be

undertaken in an orderly, coordinated fashion, and the protocols that have been achieved

must be maintained and improved. On the basis of decent, respectful treatment.

The president recalled that the past three years have seen nearly three million deportations,

and that "They were carried out in an orderly way, precisely because of the protocols we

defined together".

Third: “The development of the Mexican and US governments must assume a specific

commitment to work together to promote the development of Central American countries,”

he said.

He said that this commitment is increasingly important, because although the number of

Mexican migrants to the United States has steadily declined, in the past three years, the

flow of undocumented migrants crossing Mexico on their way to the United States has risen

by over 100 per cent.

Fourth: “We must ensure the free flow of remittances from Mexicans living in the United

States, so that it is not hampered or made more expensive”. He declared that by November

of last year, Mexicans’ remittances totaled over $24 billion USD. “This is an invaluable

contribution to national development and essential for the support of millions of Mexican

families, mainly those with limited resources".

Fifth: The US government must assume the commitment to work in a jointly responsible

fashion with Mexico, to stop the illegal entry of weapons and money of illicit origin. This

situation claims thousands of lives every year in our country," he declared.

Sixth: “We must preserve free trade between Canada, the United States and Mexico. Trade

between the three countries must be free of any tariff or quota, as it has been since 2008.

We wish to enhance the competitiveness of North America and its regional supply chains,

by increasing Mexican exports to the United States and Canada on a basis healthy

competition and the development of sectors with greater added value”.

Seventh: The president declared that in modernizing the North American trade framework,

the governments must include new sectors such as telecommunications, energy and e-

trade”.

Eighth: He said that any new trade agreement with the United States must also translate

into better salaries for Mexican workers. “Mexico does not compete in the world with low

quality jobs or cheap labor".

“On the contrary,” he said, “Mexico must participate in international trade on a basis of

greater productivity and complementarity, making trade a powerful instrument to protect

current jobs, create new jobs and improve salaries in Mexico.

Ninth: "We must protect the investment flow to Mexico. We must ensure that our country

remains an attractive, reliable investment destination; we will seek agreements that lend

certainty to investment and trade between Mexico, Canada and the United States. We will

defend national investments and those of any other country that has trusted in Mexico to

invest in”.

Tenth objective: “We will work for a border that links rather than dividing us.”Although Mexico

recognizes the rights of any sovereign nation to guarantee its security, Mexico does not

believe in walls. Our country believes in bridges, in highway and railway crossings and in

the use of technology as the best allies, in order to become good neighbors.

President Peña Nieto declared: “It suits the United States for Mexico to do well and it also

suits Mexico for the United States to do well”.

URU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 89: Kopi af brev fra Mexicos ambassadør til Folketingets formand om den mexicanske regerings forhandlinger med den nye amerikanske regering

Mexicans, he said, “Value the relationship we have forged over years and we know that if

we work together, we can continue advancing in the right direction. North America has the

potential to be the most competitive region in the world for the benefit of all its citizens. That

is why we will continue working with Canada and the United States to achieve this”.

He said that forging the new relationship with the United States and the respective

negotiation should be a job for everyone and not just the government and added that, "The

negotiation must be accompanied and supported by state institutions, civil society and

business and society in general".

The president said that, “The Senate’s accompaniment will be essential over the next few

months, since the Chamber of Congress has the exclusive faculty to analyze the foreign

policy developed by the president and approve the international treaties”.

He said that he has therefore instructed the Foreign Affairs and Economy Secretariats to

remain in permanent contact with this representation.

He added: “Over the next few weeks and months, we will have to define the new rules of

our relations with North America. Throughout this process, protecting Mexicans inside and

outside the country will be the greatest priority. The president instructed the Foreign Affairs

Secretariat, and particularly the Embassy and the consular network in the United States to

redouble their efforts to provide consular protection and assistance, "To defend and assist

Mexicans in asserting their rights in keeping with the law".

WE MUST LEVERAGE THE OPPORTUNITIES MEXICO NOW HAS IN THE WORLD

Regarding the first priority, the diversification strategy, President Peña Nieto declared that,

“Although our main trade is with the United States, we must leverage the opportunities

Mexico now has all over the world”.

He declared that thanks to its privileged position between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans,

Mexico has become a hub for global commercial flows and a natural bridge between the

world's different regions. Mexico should therefore increase the diversification of its economic

and political relations”.

He said that, “The government must have a balanced, pragmatic, timely agenda for

expanding export destinations and investment sources, intensifying bilateral relations and

political dialogue with key actors and participating on behalf of the best causes of the

international community at multilateral forums and mechanisms”.

We will continue strengthening relations with various parts of the world, he said.

IN NORTH AMERICA, MEXICO IS A VITAL PARTNER FOR THE ECONOMY AND

SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES: LUIS VIDEGARAY CASO

Foreign Affairs Secretary Luis Videgaray Caso said that, “2016 will be remembered as a

year of profound political change in the world and a year when paradigms were broken,"

with, "citizens demanding that more importance be given to local than cosmopolitan

concerns, an electorate that demands nationalistic public policies over those that promote

the goals of globalization”.

“This is a profound change that will change the public policies that prevail in the developed

world and the way nations relate to each other," he said.

He said that in the recent elections, “American voters, through a majority in the Electoral

College, voted for a president who promotes an agenda of change, an agenda of national

interest and economic nationalism".

“Given this situation, Mexico is obliged to exercise its sovereignty on the basis of national

interest. Mexicans therefore need to have a clear diagnosis, a road map and specific

objectives for dialogue and negotiation," said.

The foreign secretary also said that, “it is necessary for everyone, beginning with ourselves,

to be clear about our strengths and Mexico's importance in the world".

URU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 89: Kopi af brev fra Mexicos ambassadør til Folketingets formand om den mexicanske regerings forhandlinger med den nye amerikanske regering

IN NORTH AMERICA, MEXICO IS A VITAL PARTNER FOR THE ECONOMY AND

SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES: We should recall that trade between Mexico and the

United States exceeds 1.4 billion USD a day, in other words, over 500 billion USD in a year".

He gave figures about the importance of Mexico, particularly for certain states such as

California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Wisconsin.

The Mexican foreign secretary said that, “In migratory issues, Mexico has played an

increasingly important, changing role, because migratory flows have also been

transformed". He added that whereas the flow of undocumented Mexicans to the United

States has significantly fallen, the number of non-Mexicans, that is, from other nations that

cross the country in an attempt to reach the United States, has grown significantly.

“This constitutes a fundamental change in the way the migratory phenomenon occurs and

implies that the United States and Mexico now share both a problem and an interest in jointly

solving this population flow dynamic," he said.

Lastly, he said that over the next few days, conversations will begin with the new US

government and expressed his confidence, "That with unity and specific objectives we will

be able to achieve good results”.

MEXICO IS A GREAT COUNTRY AND WE WILL SUCCEED: SENATOR PABLO

ESCUDERO MORALES

“In the Senate, we are convinced we should take the free trade route," declared Senator

Pablo Escudero Morales, President of the Board of Directors of the Senate, who urged the

various sectors of Mexican society to cooperate and build a single Mexican state policy.

He said that the Legislative Branch shares the concern of all Mexicans, especially that of,

"Mexicans who are going through hard times, and that it is, "An obligation to provide proper

protection for Mexicans and their families in the United States, with no pretexts”.

Escudero said that given the current challenges, the Senate is working on various strategies.

One of these, Operation Monarch, is the, “Result of the need to act together, in unity,

regardless of party affiliations," in order to have clear, specific results, such as establishing

bridges between the migrant community and US authorities.

The senator declared that Mexico is a great country and will be able to succeed.

BEYOND OUR DIFFERENCES, THESE ARE MOMENTS OF UNITY AROUND A SINGLE

OBJECTIVE OF PUTTING MEXICO FIRST: JUAN PABLO CASTAÑÓN CASTAÑÓN

Juan Pablo Castañón Castañón, President of the Business Coordinating Council (CCE) said

that today, Mexicans must work together since, given the international situation, the country

must use all available resources to defend, "National interests and those of our fellow

countrymen abroad.

He said that Mexican foreign policy must focus on the legitimate defense of Mexican

interests abroad and in national territory and that to this end, Mexico has an experienced

negotiating team, which for the past 20 years, has linked the public and private sectors with

international commercial negotiations and this will not be the exception".

The CCE president declared that the business sector and the government are working

together to defend the process of regional integration and that they are, "Prepared to cope

with the process with determination and firmness".

Lastly, Castañón Castañón told the president that entrepreneurs are determined to

collaborate in the development of a public agenda in keeping with reality and urged society

and government to work together, because, "Beyond our differences, these are moments

of unity around a single goal: putting Mexico first”.

EVERYONE SHOULD ASSUME THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT

FOR PEOPLE: CTM

Regarding the renegotiation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Carlos Aceves del Olmo,

Secretary General of the Mexican Workers’ Confederation (CTM) recalled that the first FTA

passed over 20 years ago created enormous concern about whether it would provide results,

URU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 89: Kopi af brev fra Mexicos ambassadør til Folketingets formand om den mexicanske regerings forhandlinger med den nye amerikanske regering

"And it yielded good results," he said and on behalf of Mexican workers, he asked trade

unions to be part of this negotiation.

He said that, “Mexican workers have a high level of productivity. The point is not to wave a

magic wand to get a raise. The point is to get all our ducks in a row and for everyone to be

responsible and do what is right for those people- He urged the Federal Government,

Congress, the Government, and entrepreneurs to continue doing things for Mexico in the

two years left of this Administration.

"Let's put Mexico, our institutions, the president’s office, the Chambers, the Supreme Court

of Justice and our institutions first and also our people, because they are very important,"

he said.