Mexican Vice-Minister Vanessa Rubio Talks Business With Belize

The fact-finding mission along the border was important to future development of both nations. But even more important than that were the discussions held with Minister Wilfred Elrington. The focus was on establishing a common bilateral agenda of priorities and strengthening the legal framework that regulates the relationship between Belize and Mexico. On the table were trade agreements, as well as agreements on double taxation, the promotion of investment and extradition. While meetings such as this one are not rare, there seems to be serious intent on Mexico’s part to strengthen relations with its neighbor. One area of focus is tourism, but Mexico is also looking at other sectors of interest in Belize.

Via Phone: Vanessa Rubio, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mexico

Vanessa Rubio

“If we see the touristic area of both the southeast part of Mexico and Belize as a whole we can make a real good promotion of regional development and multi-destination tourism to enhance not only the tourism that comes from Belize to Mexico, basically to Chetumal, but also multi-destination tourism from abroad…from the rest of Latin America, from North America, from Asia and from Europe…those visitors that go to the southeast of Mexico can also be making a trip to Belize and the other way around. So that’s something that we will be promoting as well as part of the priorities of the common agenda. I think there is a lot…much more that we can do in order to be receiving goods from Belize. Also we need to look into, for example, the arts and crafts industry in Belize to be part of the arts and crafts industry in the region. Mexico through a private institution Panamex, it’s a national institution, has been looking at an exposition of the main aspects of the local culture in terms of arts and crafts and we have been making this exposition of the arts and crafts of Latin America and the Caribbean and we would like to see Belize’s arts and crafts included in the exposition so this is something that we should look after. And it’s not onlythe exposition in terms of culture but also in terms of cultural industry to be part of the local industry and world industry. So that’s one part of it. And we should look into more precise sectors in which Mexico can be a better buyer of Belize goods and services.”