MEXICO CITY: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has arrived in Mexico for a three-day official visit with an aim to boost bilateral cooperation in trade and investment as well as other areas with one of India's top trading partners in Latin America.
This is Jaishankar's first visit to the North American country as the External Affairs Minister. He was received by Minister of Finance and Public Credit Rogelio Ramírez de la O with whom he discussed Mexico's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Thank Minister of Finance and Public Credit @R_Ramirez_O for receiving me. Discussed Mexico's response to the Covid challenge. An External Affairs Minister's visit from India after 41 years," Jaishankar said on Twitter.
Jaishankar, who is in Mexico at the invitation of his Mexican counterpart Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón, reached here after concluding his visit to the US for the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
During his visit, Jaishankar will participate in the commemorative events of the 200th anniversary of the consolidation of Mexican Independence along with other world leaders.
In addition to his meeting with Casaubón, he will also call on President of Mexico Manuel Lopez Obrador and interact with the leading CEOs and the business community in Mexico, which is currently India's second largest trade partner in Latin America and is a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) alongside India for the 2021-22 period, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The two-way trade in 2018 was USD 10.155 billion, comprising exports worth USD 5.231 billion and imports valued at USD 4.923 billion, according to official data.
India's exports comprise mainly of vehicles and auto parts, chemicals, aluminium products, electrical machinery and electronic equipment, steel, gems and ceramic products. India imports crude oil, electrical goods and machinery from Mexico.