- Mexico affirms its desire to address, together with the SICA members, the structural causes of migration and to ensure that migratory flows are orderly and safe, with respect for human rights.
Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray Caso traveled to San José, Costa Rica, where he took part on Thursday in a discussion with his counterparts from Central America and the Dominican Republic during the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Central American Integration System (SICA).
The meeting was convened by Costa Rica, the Pro Tempore President of the group for the first half of 2017, to encourage reflection among the foreign ministers of the eight member countries and the Mexican Foreign Secretary on the new challenges caused by migration in the region.
During the meeting, Foreign Secretary Videgaray reiterated the importance of Central America to Mexican foreign policy and affirmed the Mexican government’s desire to continue working with the SICA members in the various multilateral forums that address migration, from an approach that takes a broad perspective, focuses on co-responsibility and addresses the structural causes of migration, not just immigration controls.
The foreign ministers agreed to a continuous exchange of information and expressed their desire to work together from a comprehensive perspective and with shared responsibilities to ensure that migration takes place in an orderly and safe way with full respect for human rights.
SICA was created in 1991 by Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. Its goal is to promote Central American integration for regional peace, freedom, democracy and economic development.
Mexico has been a Regional Observer Member since 2004. In 2016, Mexico's total trade with the SICA countries was almost USD 9 billion, or 28% of its total trade with Latin America and the Caribbean.
