Athens, 28/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Union and Mexico reaffirmed the central role of the United Nations during the III Meeting of the EU-Mexico Joint Council on Thursday in Athens. In a press statement, the two parties, "expressed their common commitment to the United Nations' System and the Rule of International Law; the promotion of Human Rights; the abolition of the death penalty; sustainable development and the protection of the environment and the fight against internationally organised crime".
When Mexico takes up the Presidency of the Security Council in April, the Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luis Ernesto Derbez met with several of his counterparts at the EU/Latin America meetings. He met Maria Soldedad Alvear, Minister of Foreign Affairs in Chile and who currently has a seat on the Security Council.
Chaired by Luis Ernesto Derbez and the Greek Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tasso Giannitis, the Joint EU/Mexico Council examined the international situation, bilateral trade relations in the framework of the association and free trade agreement and the preparation of the 5th WTO Ministerial conference next September in Cancun, Mexico. Despite the fact that the free trade agreement has entered into force, trade remains disappointing. The joint press statement indicated that, "during the first two years since the agreement came into effect, bilateral trade grew by 28.3% but due to the difficult global economic situation, "the dynamism of trade has been reduced and bilateral trade decreased last year by 1.7%".