General News of Monday, 28 January 2019
Source: Harriet Nartey
2019-01-28
Maria de Los Angeles Arriola, Mexico’s ambassador to Ghana with host, Harriet Nartey
Mexico is seeking to explore and accelerate economic opportunities in Africa for the mutual benefit of Latin America and Africa.
Mexico has consequently begun a process increase its presence on the continent with the opening of new missions in various African countries.
Mexico currently has Embassies in only eight African countries but the countries Ambassador to Ghana, Maria de Los Angeles Arriola has said a widened presence in Africa would boost trade, services, tourism and agriculture for economies of various countries.
Speaking on Diplomatic Affairs, a current affairs programme on Metro TV on Sunday night, Ambassador Arriola said aside the individual countries, Mexico is seeking to work with the African Union and the various regional economic groupings in a bid to replicate the relationship Mexico currently has with U.S and Canada with North America Free Trade Area (NAFTA).
Mexico contributes two-thirds of entire Latin America trade, an achievement Ambassador Arriola attributes to years of hard work, adding that as a result of ongoing labor reforms, unemployment rate in Mexico which currently stands at 3.5%, one of the lowest in the OECD area.
“ Today, every 2 Mexicans who goes to the US to find work, one of them returns to Mexico on his or her own accord, just because the economy back home is now better than before and the government is working hard to achieve more”, she said.
Mexico has 12 Free Trade Agreements with some 46 countries and the Latin American nation has been seeking to consolidate gains in the services sector, tourism, manufacturing and the agricultural sectors.
For instance, many agricultural farms prefer Mexican labor and this Ambassador Arriola believes is as a result of the resilient attitude of the Mexican worker.
On the relationship between Ghana and Mexico, Ambassador Arriola said she has been engaging Ghanaian government officials on how to leverage on trade and services sectors and was happy a Mexican Agricultural company has started operations in Ghana and doing well.
She discounted suggestions Mexico and Latin Americans do not understand African renaissance, a situation that has resulted in seeming low collaboration, saying “ I think is more about knowledge than interest and we also expect a reciprocal gesture from the other side to make things complete”.
Ambassador Arriola said Ghana’s tourism sector has the potential to attract the numbers. “If you have service quality, standards, transportation, roads, airport, clean beaches and your castles; and I don’t think many countries has the kind of Forts and Castles you have and that alone can bring in all the Tourists”.
Diplomatic Affairs airs of Metro TV every Sunday at 6.30pm and is hosted by Television Anchor, Harriet Nartey.
