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| Mexico |
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| Calderon: Mexico wants bigger profile in Asia-Pacific region |
| By AFP September 7, 2007 01:01:00 AM |
| | Mexico wants to increase its profile in the Asia-Pacific region, President Felipe Calderon said Friday.
On his way to the APEC summit in Sydney, Calderon stopped off in Auckland for six hours, the first ever official visit by a Mexican president to New Zealand.
Calderon told a press conference after talks with Prime Minister Helen Clark that Mexico wants to use its developing relationship with New Zealand as a springboard into the region.
This was part of the country's ambition to take a larger global role, he said through an interpreter.
New Zealand is eyeing Mexico as a potentially lucrative market, especially for its important dairy industry. Mexico is the world's fourth largest importer of dairy products.
The two countries had complementary economies and it was important for them to develop their economic links, he said.
"We are interested in our country working together (with New Zealand) on our economic relationship and continued dialogue," Calderon said.
Clark said Mexico had a heavy export dependency on the US and needed to diversify, a situation which could benefit New Zealand.
"We need to know Mexico better," she said.
Earlier New Zealand Trade Minister Phil Goff told a business meeting attended by Calderon that New Zealand was keen to negotiate a closer economic partnership, including a free trade agreement, with Mexico.
Calderon and Clark witnessed the signing of a working holiday agreement which would allow people aged 18 to 30 to visit and work in the other country for a year.
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