PM Netanyahu and Mexican Pres. Nieto during Thursday’s visit. Photo Courtesy of Avi Ohayon (GPO)
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues his historic tour of Latin America, he meant business in his visit to Mexico. As in, he talked about business with 16 of the leading Mexican businesspeople during a breakfast where a key topic was investment in Israel. He then later met with Mexican Economy Secretary ldefonso Guajardo Villarreal at an event that included economic partners from both countries, and he also planned to talk about free trade during his later meeting with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. It was all part of the first ever visit by an Israeli Prime Minister to Mexico.
“I began my visit in Mexico at a meeting with leading Mexican businesspeople, not for nothing, because the goal of this visit is economic,” said Netanyahu on Thursday in comments released by his office. “Mexico is a giant economy, among the 12 leading economies in the world. Soon it could be ranked even higher and we must be here, and in a big way… Israel is forging ahead, in Mexico as well.”
Earlier at the breakfast with the Mexican businesspeople, a statement from his office said that Netanyahu briefed them on “the developing Israeli cyber and vehicle industries and called on them to invest in Israel.”
Netanyahu later told a group of Israeli and Mexican businesspeople that Israel already has about 150 firms in Mexico. And Netanyahu wants the economic ties to grow.
“We have to constantly innovate our innovation, but we know one thing that we have to do: We have to couple this innovation into markets,” said Netanyahu to the businesspeople in comments released by his office. “Without markets we’ve got nothing. And what better market, what better country to wed Israeli innovation to than Mexico? Mexico is emerging rapidly, it will be a giant. We believe in Mexico and I know that many in Mexico believe in Israel.”
Israel and Mexico signed multiple agreements while Netanyahu was there, including in the areas of aviation and space. Netanyahu believes Israeli partnership with Mexico will not just benefit the two countries, but the world at large.
“I think that if we can combine our resources we can have a tremendous impact for the people of Mexico, for the people of the world, the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the way we organize our lives, our societies—this could be vastly improved by innovation,” said Netanyahu.
“Israel is the innovation nation, Mexico can be, Mexico and Israel can have a tremendous partnership.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, September 14, 2017)