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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | January 2006 
Mexico Wants Friendly Ties With Bolivia
 Lisa J. Adams - Associated Press
| | Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez speaks during a press conference on Thursday Jan. 12 , 2006, in Mexico City. Derbez insisted that President Vicente Fox's decision not to attend Morales' inauguration later this month was in line with protocol and unrelated to the recent exchange of testy remarks between Morales and Fox. (AP/Eduardo Verdugo) |
Mexico City – The Mexican government said again it has a "deep friendship" with Bolivia and is prepared to work closely with its new president, downplaying a recent testy exchange between the countries.
Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez also insisted that President Vicente Fox's decision not to attend Morales' inauguration later this month was in line with diplomatic protocol and unrelated to the recent bickering between President-elect Evo Morales and Fox.
"The position of the Mexican government is very clear: The government of Mexico salutes the democratic process that has elected the government of President Morales," Derbez said.
"A deep friendship unites us with Bolivia," he said, adding that the two nations are also connected by a free-trade agreement that has been in effect for several years.
Derbez's comments came amid an exchange of words between Fox's conservative administration and the leftist Morales, a former coca grower who has threatened to expropriate Bolivia's rich natural gas resources.
"The new government apparently has said that Bolivia's gas will not be exported," Fox said last week. "Either they are going to consume it or they are going to eat it. They have a lot of gas to export."
Morales responded Wednesday by asking Mexico's president to show more respect.
"He should not try to humiliate me and my people," Morales said during a visit to South Africa.
Derbez said Thursday that Mexico's ambassador to Bolivia has been instructed to set up a meeting between Morales and Derbez as soon as possible after the Bolivian president's inauguration on Jan. 22, to discuss bilateral relations.
Mexico is particularly interested in working out an agreement through which it could import natural gas from Bolivia that would be shipped to this country in liquefied form.
Derbez said he was confident the two nations would have a close, productive relationship with Morales, and he rejected a suggestion that foreign relations have deteriorated under Fox due to conflicts with Cuba, Venezuela, and now Bolivia.
In 2004, both Cuba and Mexico withdrew their respective ambassadors over alleged interference in each other's affairs, while in November Mexico and Venezuela pulled their ambassadors out of each other's countries over a spat rooted in differences on free trade and U.S. relations.
Although Mexican officials have said Fox as a rule does not attend the swearing-in ceremonies of presidents, he will be present at the event of Honduran President-elect Manuel Zelaya this month. Derbez said Fox will attend because of the "privileged" relationship Mexico has developed with Central America.
Derbez insisted Mexico's diplomatic relations with other countries are overwhelmingly positive. He cited his country's collaboration with Central American countries to design a regional policy against migrant abuse and to follow the course of proposed legislation in the United States to toughen border enforcement.
Derbez announced that besides the Central American nations, Ecuador agreed Thursday to join the group. |
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