Your Excellency President Felipe Calderon
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I wish to take the opportunity to thank you for inviting us to to Cancun.
We are delighted to be here to during the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change, as well as to have discussions that are focused on deepening the relations between South Africa and Mexico.
We congratulate Mexico on the excellent arrangements and hospitality extended to all delegates attending this very important Conference.
South Africa and Mexico enjoy strong bilateral relations. Since the inauguration of our inaugural Bi-national Commission in April this year, the partnership between our two countries has deepened.
An important element of the BNC is to deepen economic relations between our two countries.
Mexico is South Africa’s third largest trading partner in Latin America after Brazil and Argentina, whilst South Africa is Mexico’s largest trading partner in Africa.
Trade between our two countries has been growing at a steady pace since the early 1990s after Mexico lifted its ban on trade with South Africa, which had been instituted to support our struggle for liberation. We thank you for that solidarity.
We will work harder on our side to further strengthen investment and trade relations between Mexico and South Africa.
Mr President,
I was honoured with your presence earlier this year on 11 June, when you attended the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup opening ceremony in Johannesburg.
That memorable match between the Mexican and South African Teams set the tone and pace for what was to become Africa’s first football World Cup.
We were particularly pleased with Mexico’s performance and also the attendance of scores of Mexican supporters who travelled the long distance to our shores.
This proved the potential for deeper bilateral relations between our two countries, including people-to-people linkages especially through tourism.
South Africa and Mexico also cooperate in the international arena, and Mexico has strong relations with Africa, and has observer status at the African Union.
You addressed the AU Summit held in Uganda earlier this year, Mr President, which indicates this country’s relationship with the continent.
In this way Mexico will keep in touch with developments in the African continent and is able to become a good partner in many international forums.
We were pleased with South Africa’s election earlier this year to serve as a non-permanent member on the United Nations Security Council from 2011 to 2012.
We thank Mexico for support and also acknowledge the work done by Mexico the past two years as a member on the UN Security Council.
We also work together in other forums including the G20 which we regard as a critical forum for the world to discuss socio-economic and challenges facing us at this time.
The effectiveness of the G20 and the fruitfulness of our participation as the developing world will depend on the extent to which it is able to implement all the decisions reached at previous summits.
There are some development issues that were considered in the G8 context that remain unresolved. The G20 could consider an appropriate manner to take these forward.
We seriously want to see the G20 finalising the outstanding decisions before taking on too many new issues. We will also urge a greater focus by the G20 on the development needs of low income countries and Africa.
These are some of the issues we will want to engage on with Mexico as part of our cooperation in the multilateral arena.
Today, I also wish to congratulate Mexico on the celebration this year of its Bicentennial of Independence and 100 years of the Mexican Revolution.
The government and people of South Africa wish to donate a rock art painting to the government and people of Mexico in commemoration of this historic event.
We trust that this token that represents our history of rock art, which will be delivered through diplomatic channels, will find a suitable place among Mexico’s rich and colourful cultural treasures.
Mr President,
We find our presence in the city of Cancun invaluable as we prepare to host the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Durban next year.
We dare not lose this opportunity in Cancun as the world, to secure consensus and progress on the implementation of climate action from now up to 2012.
We also need to establish the building blocks for the longer term negotiation of the future legally binding outcome.
Cancun presents a crossroads for Africa and the international community.
It is a critical opportunity to build confidence and momentum towards a multilaterally agreed legally binding outcome, which is an inclusive, fair and effective global climate change regime.
In Durban next year we will build on the achievements of Cancun and I look forward to welcoming you in South Africa!
Thank you for fruitful bilateral talks and for hosting us in this beautiful city.
I thank you.
