On Thursday, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Mexican counterpart Marcelo Ebrard co-chaired the 8th India-Mexico Joint Commission Meeting. The aim of the meet was to trace the progress made in bilateral trade and commerce between the two countries. The two sides also agreed to strengthen their “privileged partnership” and combine their economic strengths to emerge as regional and global leaders. During the meeting, the Ministers discussed boosting ties on several issues, including agriculture, health, and space.
Look forward to working closely with our ‘Privileged Partner’ on our respective priorities in the UNSC.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 29, 2020
For India, maintaining a positive relationship with Mexico is crucial, as it is India’s largest trade partner in Latin America and second-largest partner in the Americas. Meanwhile, for Mexico, bolstering cooperation with India, who is its ninth-largest trading partner, is also important. Bilateral trade between the two countries in 2019 stood at $9.3 billion, out of which Indian exports amounted to $ 5.18 billion and Mexican imports were worth $ 4.14 billion. Mexico’s major export to India is crude oil, while India is Mexico’s second-largest supplier of motorcars and other transport vehicles after the United States (US).
Moreover, the two countries are looking to cooperate and further their interests during their 2021-2022 tenure at the United Nations Security Council. In fact, Mexico has been a long-term and keen supporter of India’s bid to gain a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Mexico was actually one of the first Latin American countries to establish diplomatic ties with India, with bilateral relations stretching as far back as 1950.
Jaishankar’s meeting with Ebrard closely follows the India-Mexico Bilateral High-Level Group on Trade, Investment and Cooperation (BHLG), which was held on October 9. During that meeting, Indian Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhwan and Mexican Vice-Minister for Foreign Trade Luz María de la Mora agreed to increase bilateral cooperation in the pharmaceutical, medical equipment, healthcare, agri-products, fisheries, food processing and aerospace industries. They signed two business-to-business MoUs: the first was between the Electronics & Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) of India and the Mexican Chamber of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technologies (CANIETI), and the second was between the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Mexican Business Council of Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE).
On the same day, Jaishankar also held a virtual meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, wherein the two discussed “strengthening of Greek-Indian relations and developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and South Asia.” A statement by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said, “Both leaders undertook a detailed review of bilateral ties, underpinned by long-standing historical and friendly relations as well as commonality of views on major international issues of the day … The two Ministers welcomed the recent high level exchanged and agreed to strengthen cooperation in all areas, especially in commerce, technology and culture.”
A very warm virtual meeting with FM @NikosDendias of Greece. Discussed building on our historical friendship through enhanced cooperation in commerce, technology and culture. The agenda covered our respective regional situations. Will work closely in the multilateral domain. pic.twitter.com/v1C0GROI7N
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 29, 2020
In video conference with #India FM @DrSJaishankar. Strengthening 🇬🇷🇮🇳 relations & developments in #EasternMediterranean & South Asia in focus. pic.twitter.com/mNZsZat6Lz
— Nikos Dendias (@NikosDendias) October 29, 2020
Last week, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos met with Amrit Lugun, the Indian Ambassador to Greece, to discuss the bolstering of “bilateral relations in the defence sector” and the need to “promote cooperation between the defence industries.” Their decision to work together appears to be in retaliation to the alliance formed by their natural enemies, Turkey and Pakistan. According to Greek media reports, amidst rising tensions in the East Mediterranean, Turkish planes, operated by Pakistani pilots, have been entering Greek airspace. Greek officials believe these to be “provocations” by Pakistan “on behalf of Turkey.”
The two sides are also looking to expand ties in the area of travel and tourism. , the Greek Minister of Tourism, said, “India is one of the emerging markets of high quality and importance on an international level and it is one of the strategic goals of Greek Tourism to enter this market dynamically in the next 3 years … Already, before the pandemic started, we were in close cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism of India, the first goal being to establish a direct air flight connection.”