Friday, November 1, 2019

Mexican Ambassador's message on “night and day of Liberty”


Address by Ambassador Juan José González Mijares
 On the occasion of the 209th Anniversary of the Independence of Mexico
 Friday, 13th September, 2019  
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The event was featured on Page 2 of the Jamaica Observer

-Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade
-Honourable Ministers of the Cabinet, Ministers of State and High Officials of the Government of Jamaica,
-President of the Senate and members of Parliament, 
-Members of the Diplomatic, Consular Corps and International Organisations,
-Representatives from Civil and Government Institutions
-Members from the private sector, academia and the press 
-Queridos compatriotas
-Ladies and Gentlemen, 
Good evening,
On behalf of the Government of Mexico, my wife Guadalupe and the members of the Embassy, I am pleased to welcome you to this reception to celebrate the Anniversary of Mexico’s Independence.
I wish to specially recognise the presence of Senator Kamina Johnson Smith who continues to highlight the importance of Mexico and its ties with Jamaica. 
Two hundred and nine years ago, in September 1810, Mexico initiated the journey for its Independence. On this day, we celebrate the “night and day of Liberty”, a long-standing practice that we enact on this occasion wherever Mexicans live around the world. 
We are a proud nation that has enriched its Independence from the roots of its original indigenous groups and civilizations, the Western World and its openness to the international community to become the 15th largest economy in the world, the largest Spanish speaking country and the 8th most visited tourist destination in 2018.
We are a country of multiple identities: Mexico belongs to North America, it is a Latin-American country, a Pacific Rim state and it is also a part of the Caribbean.
Our relationship with Jamaica goes back 53 years and is the most important and institutionalized in the Anglo-Saxon Caribbean. Mexico will continue to work with Jamaica as a priority area for its political dialogue, economic diversification and a privileged zone for its technical ​​cooperation. 
Since Guadalupe and I arrived in Jamaica a year and a half ago, we have had the opportunity to visit the country and get a better understanding of the people, the cultures, the dynamic economy, its political institutions and international profile. We are also very glad and thankful to have made very good friends along the way.
In June of this year Jamaica chaired the Ninth Meeting of the Mexico-Jamaica Binational Commission where we review our political dialogue, trade and economic prospects, as well as technical and cultural cooperation.
On this matter, allow me to specially thank the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Ambassador Marcia Gilbert-Roberts, and Undersecretary for Bilateral, Regional and Hemispheric Affairs, Ambassador Alison Stone-Roofe and their team, for the successful conclusion of this Binational Commission.
The cornerstone of our political dialogue is our shared commitment to regional and global responsibility, the respect for international law and the strength of multilateralism. At the meeting we discussed the acute challenges facing the world:  Climate Change, Transnational Crime, Trade Disputes, Disarmament, Terrorism and Migration; and that need to work together at the bilateral and multilateral levels, to find, through dialogue and cooperation, the best possible solutions to these complex issues, thereby enhancing our global governance.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Jamaica is an increasingly important destination for Mexican companies. Their presence is growing in the tourism, airport management and construction sectors. For example, the Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP) concluded a successful bid for a PPP with Jamaican authorities to operate Norman Manley International Airport as of October.
ARENDAL, an energy company from Monterrey, has just concluded the construction of the first gas duct built in Jamaica, in the parish of Clarendon.  And new projects in the hotel sector are to begin this year.
In order to boost new investment projects, we will soon start the negotiation of a bilateral Agreement for the Protection and Promotion of Investment. We will also work, through a technical group, towards establishing direct air connectivity and multi destination tourist initiatives.

Mexico’s scientific and educational cooperation remain an important pillar of our relations. In 2018 we inaugurated the Mexican Chair at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. We expect the second edition to begin in the spring of 2020 and reinforce the collaboration of UWI and UTECH with the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

With regard to technical cooperation, for the 2020-2021 cycle,
we have selected 9 projects in the fields of maritime security, agriculture, irrigation and geospatial data management.  I must also highlight the beginning of an innovative triangular cooperation between Mexico`s National Council of Evaluation CONEVAL, the PIOJ and UNICEF on the multi-dimensional measurement of poverty and the evaluation of public policies in the social field.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
A few days ago I was asked by a journalist if I already had some knowledge about the culture in Jamaica? “A mi fi tell yuh”, I said. It’s been a delightful experience in music, dancing, cuisine, street art, sports and landscapes in communities of St Elizabeth, Port Antonio, the Blue Mountains and Negril. Now we know better: from Bob Marley to Buju Banton; from Beres Hammond to Beenie Man and Chronixx.

It will be a privilege for me to help to introduce all these elements of Jamaican culture to Mexico and, of course be instrumental to bringing the art and cultures of Mexico to Jamaica. Today we proudly present a gastronomical tour and a musical surprise from Jalisco. I hope you enjoy both.  

As Koffee would say “Gratitude is a must”, I will now take the opportunity to thank all the sponsors that made this wonderful moment possible: Moon Palace Jamaica, CEMEX and Carib Cement, Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, Wray & Nephew, Dolphin Cove, ARENDAL, Margaretville, Secrets, Grand Palladium, Excellence, Red Stripe, CPJ, Rosh Marketing, King Alarm and Mexico's Tequila Council for their generous support of this important commemoration.
I would also like to convey my appreciation to the staff of Moon Palace Jamaica for preparing this delectable gastronomic display. Thank you Diana, Chefs Darío and Luis Alfredo and all the team.
My gratitude to the staff of the Embassy and the residence of Mexico in Jamaica and my wife Guadalupe for all their effort and dedication.
Finally, thanks to all of you for being here to celebrate with us another Anniversary of the Independence of Mexico.
Thank you very much.

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