Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray Caso met today with a delegation of Canadian parliamentarians headed by the Canadian Speaker of the House of Commons, Geoff Regan.
The officials discussed the importance of the Mexico-Canada relationship and current channels of communication such as the High-Level Strategic Dialogue and the Mexico-Canada Partnership. They also talked about key economic issues, such as the boost to bilateral trade since the entry into force of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which amounts to over 20 billion dollars annually. Both countries are ready to work on improving and strengthening NAFTA, which benefits all three countries and enables them to be more competitive at the global level.
They also reviewed the major developments that have brought Mexico and Canada closer in recent months, such as eliminating visas for Mexican tourists; cooperating in higher education and innovation; and working together to empower women in the region. The Canadian parliamentarians agreed that the three political parties represented at the meeting were aware of the need to further deepen the Mexico-Canada relationship.
Lastly, Foreign Secretary Videgaray reiterated the Mexican government’s readiness to continue strengthening its strategic partnership with Canada in order to benefit both societies.
The Canadian delegation was composed of Geoff Regan, Member of the Liberal Party and Speaker of the House of Commons; Michelle Rempel, Member of the Conservative Party and the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration of the House of Commons; Murray Rankin, Leader of the New Democratic Party in the House of Commons; William Amos, Liberal Party Member and Co-Chair of the Mexico-Canada Friendship Group; and Chantal Chastenay, Minister Counsellor for Political Affairs at the Canadian embassy in Mexico.
The Foreign Ministry officials present were Carlos Sada Solana, Undersecretary for North America; Narciso Campos Cuevas, Chief of Staff to the Foreign Secretary; Rodrigo Reina Liceaga, Director General of Political Coordination; and Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de León, Director General for North America.