On 6 October 2014, Thailand and Mexico held its first Political Consultations and Other Matters of Common Interest meeting between the two ministries of foreign affairs, co-chaired by Mr. Songsak Saicheua, Director General for American and South Pacific Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and Mr. Alejandro Madrigal Becerra, Director General for Asia Pacific Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico. The meeting, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, was also attended by Mr. Chirachai Punkrasin, the Ambassador of Thailand to Mexico, as well as representatives from Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID). The bilateral meeting is a mechanism under the Memorandum of Understanding Between The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Mexican States on Political Consultations and Other Matters of Common Interest, signed in 2011 by Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul and Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa Cantellano in Honolulu.

 

            During the meeting, both sides focused attention on the state of bilateral relationships and discussed plans for celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2015. They also agreed on the need to expedite the conclusion of a number of pending legal instruments currently under negotiation, which include agreements on investment promotion and protection, tourism, and the elimination of double taxation. Thailand and Mexico expressed a desire to move the relationship and cooperation ahead for the benefit of both public and private sectors.

 

            Cooperation between Thailand and Mexico extends beyond the bilateral scope and both countries have engaged in multilateral cooperation, including the trilateral cooperation in assisting Haiti after the earthquake in 2010. Thailand and Mexico both seek to continue and expand trilateral cooperation with third countries in Latin America and Southeast Asia. At the regional level, both sides reaffirm their commitments to take active participation in regional frameworks to which both countries are party to, and look forward to possible cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to which Thailand is a member, and the Pacific Alliance (PA), to which Mexico is a member.

 

            The Political Consultations and Other Matters of Common Interest meeting acknowledged that Thailand and Mexico are undergoing reforms aimed at strengthening its socio-political and economic structures in order to enable both countries to advance with people-centered growth. Both recognize the opportunities for engagement with each other. The increasing trade volume between Mexico and Thailand has placed Mexico as Thailand’s second largest trade partner in Latin America. Thailand looks forward to expanding trade, cultural exchange, and investment opportunities with Mexico.