The third round of negotiations to modernize the political and cooperation aspects of the Mexico-European Union (EU) Global Agreement was held on July 10 in Brussels, Belgium. Ambassador Carlos de Icaza, Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, headed the Mexican delegation, along with Ambassador Agustín García-López Loaeza, Executive Director of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID). Edita Hrdá, EU Chief Negotiator and Managing Director for the Americas of the European External Action Service (EEAS), led the EU side, accompanied by Jolita Butkeviciene, Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Directorate General for Development Cooperation.

The negotiations will result in a new agreement, which will replace the existing Economic Partnership, Political Coordination and Cooperation Agreement (Global Agreement) signed in 1997 and which entered into force in 2000.

The two sides discussed a broad range of issues to be covered by the new agreement, ranging from political dialogue and human rights to migration, sustainable development and the environment. For the first time, the talks also covered the institutional and final provisions.

Both sides made progress in the negotiations, building on the progress made during previous rounds in Brussels in June 2016 and in Mexico City on May 15 of this year, completed by sessions held by videoconference.  Reaffirming their commitment to conclude negotiations this year, both parties agreed to hold a fourth round of negotiations in Mexico in October.

The updating of the legal framework will reinforce the strategic partnership between the EU and Mexico, increase trade and investment with benefits for all, strengthen political dialogue and increase cooperation and coordination on foreign and security policy issues to better respond to global challenges, from security threats to migration, climate change, human rights and the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, among others.