On the National Day of Mexico (September 16), VIB Forum reporter Trung Nguyen has conducted an interview with Ambassador of United Mexican States to Vietnam H.E Mr Ricardo Camara Sanchez about the economic and investment relations between the two countries.
What do you comment on the success of bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and Mexico after 31 years of diplomatic relations?
After 31 years of diplomatic relations, Vietnam and Mexico have consolidated friendship and strengthened ties in various form, including bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation.
To this time, both countries have succeed in constructing a solid legal framework consisting of six main agreements that have paved the way for a growing bilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues. For instance, under these agreements both nations have managed to regularly exchange view on global matters, share their knowledge on relevant fields such as rice and maize (corn) growing, scholarships and cultural exchanges. On this regard, I would like to point the recent screening of Mexican film in Hue and the successful publishing of the first Vietnamese edition of Mexico's best-selling book "Historia Minima de Mexico" (A Compact History of Mexico).
Nowadays, Mexico and Vietnam are looking to further cooperation, particularly on the fields of tourism, trade and economic fluxes facilitation. On the regional and multilateral arena, both countries share common interest and principles on a number of topics, which take form into a mutual understanding in international forums such as APEC, the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation, where Mexico supports Vietnam's accession.
Though Mexico is one of the top ten exporters in the world, trade exchange between Vietnam and Mexico is at the modest level. What difficulties are there in the bilateral cooperation?
The Mexico and Vietnam trade exchange has continuingly increased through years, however this figure is not accordance with the potential of the two countries.
I think that one of the main challenges that need to be addressed by Mexico and Vietnam are market access (high taxes and tariffs and other barriers) and trade facilitation (transportation costs, and a closer linkage between both business communities).
In fact, even if Mexican and Vietnamese producers and consumers benefit a growing economic exchange, it is clear that Mexican exports are very far from their potential.
Nevertheless, I am optimistic that the regional work to improve trade facilitation, which both countries perform in economic forums like APEC, and the forecasted entry of Vietnam to the WTO, will help to redress our trade imbalance with Vietnam, which amounted US $96.1 million dollars during the first quarter of 2006.
Besides, Vietnam's successful integration to the world economy offers, in the medium and long term, a wide range of possibilities for Mexican investors, particularly by forging strategic alliances with Vietnamese entrepreneurs.
What do you think of the opportunity as well as prospect of Mexican exports to Vietnam?
I think that there is an opportunity in almost every sector as long as the Vietnamese and Mexican entrepreneurs are willing to take risks, forge strategic alliances, and invest in the other country.
Concerning Mexican exports, I would said that with Vietnam's accession to the WTO, many Mexican goods presently subject to high tariffs will probably have a greater potential. I think on very popular goods such as Mexican beer and tequila, a great variety of fruits, steel products, and construction materials, among others.
Embassy of United Mexican States in Vietnam
Add: The 11th floor, 14 Thuy Khe Str., Hanoi
Tel: (84-4) 8470948
Fax: (84-4) 8470949
Embassy of Vietnam in Mexico
Add: 255 Sierra Ventana, Lomas de Chapultepec Delegation, Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City
Tel: (52-5) 540 1632, 7587
Fax: (52-5) 540 112,8689
Vietnamese
