India-Mexico

• 14 Oct 2020

Why in News

Recently, the 5^th meeting of the India-Mexico Bilateral High-Level Group (BHLG) on Trade, Investment and Cooperation has been held through video conference.

• The 4^th meeting of BHLG on Trade, Investment and Cooperation at the level of Commerce Secretary was held in Mexico City in July 2016.
• On 1^st August 2020, India and Mexico celebrated the 70^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between them.

Key Points

• Both sides discussed a number of bilateral ongoing and outstanding issues, ranging from Audio-visual Co-production, Bilateral Investment Treaty, market access for agricultural products, a cooperation framework on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) measures, cooperation in the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), and exploring ways to promote tourism and people-to-people contact.
• They also agreed to expand and diversify the bilateral trade relationship through enhanced cooperation in pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, healthcare, agro-products, fisheries, food processing and aerospace industry, etc.
• Two Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have been signed, to foster the cooperation in the domains of:
  
  • Electronics, Computer Software and Telecommunications and Information Technologies.
  • Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology.

India-Mexico Relations

• Historical Ties:
  
  • Being colonies in the past, India and Mexico have European connections of the colonial era.
  • Mexico was the first Latin American country to recognise India after Independence and establish diplomatic relations with India in 1950.
  • Mexican wheat varieties used in Indo-Mexican hybrids were the backbone of India’s Green Revolution in the 1960s.
  • In the Cold War years, Mexico and India had worked together closely as members of the United Nations (UN), both actively championing the interests of developing countries such as in the Uruguay Round of Trade Negotiations (under the World Trade Organisation).
    
    • Both countries are the members of G-20.
• Political and Bilateral Cooperation:
  
  • Both countries established a ‘Privileged Partnership’ in 2007.
  • In 2015, both countries agreed to work for achieving a ‘Strategic Partnership’.
  • The two countries have several bilateral agreements and MoUs, including for Investment Promotion and Protection, Extradition, Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters, Space Cooperation, etc.
  • India gives 20 scholarships to Mexico under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme and Mexican diplomats are also given training at Forest Survey of India (FSI).
• Economic and Commercial Relations:
  
  • Mexico is currently India’s largest trading partner in Latin America.
    
    • In 2018-19, it accounted for almost a quarter of India’s trade with the region. India is currently Mexico’s ninth-most important global trading partner.
  • The last decade has seen a spurt in trade between the two countries, which has grown from around USD 5 billion in 2015-16 to USD 9.4 billion in 2018-19.
  • India’s Exports: Vehicles and auto parts, organic chemicals, electrical machinery and electronic equipment, aluminium products, readymade garments, iron and steel products and gems and jewellery.
  • India’s Imports: Crude oil, electrical goods and machinery, organic chemicals, vehicles and auto parts and iron and steel.
• Security:
  
  • Both countries share a common concern over growing traditional and non-traditional security challenges, particularly the rise of global terrorism.
• Cultural Ties:
  
  • The Gurudev Tagore Indian Cultural Centre has been functioning in Mexico since October 2010, teaching Yoga, classical dances, music, etc.
  • An agreement on cultural cooperation has been in existence since 1975 and cooperation activities are carried out through four-yearly ‘Programmes of Cultural Cooperation’.
• Indian Community:
  
  • The Indian community in Mexico is estimated to be more than 7,000, comprising mostly software engineers of Indian IT companies, academics/professors, and private businessmen.
  • Tourism between the two countries is steadily increasing and Mexicans have been extended the online e-Tourist Visa facility.
  • Indian nationals holding ordinary passports but having a valid visa for the USA, the UK, Canada, Schengen area or Japan, and holders of permanent residence in the same countries or Member States of Pacific Alliance viz. Colombia, Chile and Peru do not need a visa for short tourism or business visits to Mexico.
• Differences:
  
  • Mexico and India have had different viewpoints on the issue of nuclear non-proliferation. However, during Indian Prime Minister’s 2016 visit, Mexico pledged support for India's bid to be part of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
  • Both countries have differences on the issue of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reforms.
    
    • Mexico has been a member of the United for Consensus (UfC) group/Coffee Club that, unlike India and the other Group of Four (G-4) members (Japan, Germany and Brazil), opposes the expansion of permanent membership in the UNSC.

Way Forward

• India and Mexico have striking similarities in geo-climatic conditions, biodiversity, physiognomy and people, cultural and family values. Both are heirs to a great civilizational heritage and contacts between them indicatively go back centuries.
• Both India and Mexico are non-permanent members of the Security Council for the period 2021-2022, which is a good opportunity to set aside their differences on global governance issues and work closely on areas of mutual interest.

Source: PIB