(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)     The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Mexican States on Wednesday solidified diplomatic relations with the accreditation of His Excellency, Ivan Roberto Sierra-Medel, at the Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana.

In accepting the new envoy’s credentials, CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, reflected on the longstanding relationship between CARICOM and Mexico which has its genesis in 1974 when the Spanish-speaking country became the first with which CARICOM established a Joint Commission that facilitated the promotion of economic, cultural and technological cooperation.

Through Mexico’s advancement, the Secretary-General noted that it provided the opportunity for the exchange of valuable best practices and cooperation with CARICOM in areas including climate change, disaster management, health, food security transnational security, and marine management.
 
“CARICOM embraces the opportunity to continue collaborating with you, especially in the context of our strategic objectives as outlined in the Region’s recently adopted Community Strategic Plan. Working together, we can do much to overcome the challenges posed in these areas by building resilience to reduce our vulnerabilities,” the Secretary-General said.
 
He noted that the recently signed Memorandum of Agreement between Mexico and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) was yet another example of the country’s commitment to forging stronger relations with the Region.

 
Ambassador LaRocque noted that cooperation at the international level was an extension of the friendship with CARICOM welcoming Mexico’s support and advocacy on critical issues.
 
“In fora such as the G20, where small states like ours are excluded, Mexico’s membership provides an important platform for your country to put forward our views on issues such as those related to “graduation” and access to concessionary development financing,” he said.
 
He added that CARICOM looked forward to Mexico’s support during the three imminent international conferences: The Third International Conference on Financing for Development; the UN Summit on the Post-2015 Development Agenda; and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in December, COP 21, which all have a bearing on the future global agenda and the development of the Region. 
 
“For us, like other small developing states, the outcome of these conferences must take into account our vulnerabilities and special needs,” Secretary-General LaRocque stated.