The Belgian Ambassador, Antoine Evrard, stressed that “it is the second official visit of this sexennium but the first economic mission of this size”.
The Belgian princess will also be declared a distinguished guest of Mexico City in a meeting with the Head of Government of the Capital, Claudia Sheinbaum, and will meet with the governor of Nuevo León, Jaime Rodríguez, in the northern city of Monterrey.
Princess Astrid of Belgium, who will travel between February 16 and 24 to Mexico with a large commercial delegation, will be the second foreign authority received by Mexican President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, reported this Wednesday the Belgian Embassy in the country.
“It is the second official visit of this sexennium but the first economic mission of this size,” Belgian Ambassador Antoine Evrard told a news conference.
Astrid, who will travel with two federal ministers, three regional ministers and 202 businessmen, will meet next Monday February 18 with López Obrador and will become the second foreign authority received by the Mexican president after the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez.
The Belgian princess will also be declared a distinguished guest of Mexico City in a meeting with the Head of Government of the Capital, Claudia Sheinbaum, and will meet with the governor of Nuevo León, Jaime Rodríguez, in the northern city of Monterrey.
But the main objective of the visit is to strengthen commercial ties between both countries. That is why the Belgian Minister of Economy and Trade, Kris Peeters, and his counterparts in the federal states of Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels will also travel.
Two hundred entrepreneurs will represent the 130 leading companies in Belgium and will carry out activities both in the capital and in Monterrey, the main economic engine of the country.
“More than 200 entrepreneurs have registered to travel a whole week to Mexico. That means they have no fear and that they have confidence in the economic future in Mexico, both in the country in general and in the new Government, “said the ambassador.
The last Belgian economic mission, which visited Mexico in 2009, was noticeably smaller. It was headed by the current King Felipe, who was then a prince, and only 82 businessmen.
Evrard also said that the visit of five Belgian ministers “attests that we want to meet the new government and better understand” the fourth transformation, a concept known by the López Obrador government, which aims to eradicate corruption and corruption. violence in Mexico.
Throughout the week there are business forums, technological events, a visit to the Televisa headquarters and events to promote Belgian cuisine, such as the famous chocolate, the famous beer, and the popular fried potatoes.
In a humorous tone, the Wallonia economic adviser, Florence Vanholsbeeck, reminded the press that “the French fries” are originally from Belgium, and suggested that they change the name.
In the political arena, there will be a meeting between the Belgian Foreign Minister, Didier Reynders, and his Mexican counterpart, Marcelo Ebrard, in which they will review bilateral relations and address the development plan that Mexico wants to promote in Central America to prevent forced migrations.
The Belgian delegation will also meet with the Secretary of National Defense of Mexico, Luis Cresencio Sandoval, to discuss the Mexican government’s plan to fight organized crime through a National Guard formed by military and marine police.
The ambassador also said that Belgium is interested in knowing if López Obrador intends to “increase or stabilize the presence” of soldiers on missions abroad, such as in Western Sahara or Colombia.
The Belgian delegation will also meet with officials of the Ministry of Public Administration to learn first-hand about the anti-corruption plan promoted by López Obrador since he took office on December 1.
“We do not come to give lessons, we want to hear what their model is,” said the ambassador, who lamented that “corruption slows growth in Mexico.”
According to the Embassy, Belgium is the third European investor in Mexico behind Spain and Germany, the eighth in terms of exports of European products to Mexico and the third in terms of imports of Mexican products to Europe.
The largest Belgian investment in Mexico was the purchase of the Modelo Group by the Belgian brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev, which took place in 2013 in a transaction valued at 20,100 million dollars.
Source: EFE, Sinembargo
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