JAKARTA, 5 October 2015 – Mexico will work closely with ASEAN to strengthen ties in areas of mutual interest. This was conveyed by H.E. Federico Salas Lotfe, during the presentation of his Letter of Credence to H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN, at the ASEAN Secretariat today. H.E. Lotfe assumed his post as Mexico's first Ambassador to ASEAN.
Secretary-General Minh congratulated Ambassador Lotfe on his assumption of duty and expressed appreciation to the efforts of Mexico in enhancing relations with ASEAN, both bilaterally between ASEAN and Mexico, and multilaterally between ASEAN and the Pacific Alliance, a regional grouping comprising Chile, Columbia, Mexico and Peru.
Secretary-General Minh highlighted the outcomes of the 2nd ASEAN-Pacific Alliance Ministerial Meeting, held in New York on 28 September 2015, and underscored the need to work together to forge cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as trade and investment, infrastructure, SME development, education, tourism, cultural exchange and sports.
Ambassador Lotfe thanked Secretary-General Minh and looked forward to working closely with ASEAN Member States and the ASEAN Secretariat to further strengthen ASEAN-Mexico relations. He recalled the Meeting between the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) and the Ambassadors of the Pacific Alliance countries in Jakarta in May 2015 and further emphasized the need for the two organisations to work harder for more fruitful relationship.
Secretary-General Minh and Ambassador Lotfe also exchanged views on regional issues of common interest and concern.