A statement from the CARICOM Secretariat says Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque told  the President-Elect and his National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) in a congratulatory message, that “CARICOM attaches great value to the close and friendly relationship that it has forged with Mexico over the years.” 

“It was in 1974 that Mexico became a pioneer as the first country to establish a Joint Commission with CARICOM,” the Secretary-General noted.

“This heralded the beginning of a mutually beneficial partnership which demonstrated the value of South-South cooperation and relationships.”

“The Community looks forward, under your Presidency, to the continued goodwill, friendship, and cooperation which characterize CARICOM-Mexico relations,” he added.

The Secretary-General said CARICOM also looks forward to working with the President-elect’s administration in implementing the commitments undertaken in the Political Declaration and other arrangements agreed upon during the Fourth CARICOM-Mexico Summit held in Belize in October 2017.

Ambassador LaRocque noted Mexico’s willingness to serve as a bridge between more developed and less developed nations and to improve the governance of international development cooperation.

In this regard, he said the Community was very appreciative of Mexico’s efforts to advance issues of importance to Small Island and Low-lying Coastal Developing States (SIDS) when it served as President Pro Tempore of the G20 in 2012.