AMMAN — Commemorating the 45th anniversary of Mexican-Jordanian relations, which falls on July 9, Mexican Ambassador to Jordan Roberto Rodriguez Hernandez has highlighted the potential for further cooperation between the two nations.

 

“Around 45 years ago, Mexico wanted to promote new links in the world as well as diversify its trade and political relationships in the Middle East and Africa,” said Hernandez in a phone interview with The Jordan Times.

 

One of the areas for cooperation — tourism — has been receiving attention from both sides through the development of initiatives to promote the sector, according to the ambassador.

 

“In 2019, more than 16,000 Mexicans visited Jordan, which is double the amount we had the year before. We hope that kind of significant growth can continue,” Hernandez said.

 

According to numbers provided by the embassy, 51,584 Mexican tourists visited Jordan between 2014 and 2019. In 2018, the number of Mexican tourists to visit Jordan reached 10,843 and grew again to reach 18,074 in 2019.

 

“We are trying to promote Mexico as a tourism destination in Jordan and the region as we know it is not a common option for their travels,” said Hernandez.

 

He highlighted the role that tourism can play in enhancing the knowledge of each country’s official language, history, geography and culture, as well as its contribution to bilateral tourism progress and developing products and infrastructure.

 

In terms of trade, Mexico ranked 23rd among the 25 merchandise-exporting countries to Jordan in 2019, exporting JD107.8 million in merchandise and importing goods worth a total of JD8.7 million from Jordan for that year. 

 

Garments, agricultural equipment and mineral fertilisers are the main products exported to Mexico from Jordan, while vehicles, chickpeas, nucleic acids, gas containers and chocolates are the most imported products from Mexico to Jordan.

 

However, Hernandez noted that “the advantages that can come from trade have not been maximised”, adding that the coronavirus crisis is “an opportunity for further collaboration in the medical sector”.

 

“We hope to promote the medical sector in Mexico, which, despite a lack of infrastructure in some parts of the country, still flourishes with extraordinary physicians and high-tech equipment. I hope to encourage Jordanian businessmen to invest in that,” he said.

 

In regard to the Palestinian issue, Mexico “reiterates its firm conviction that direct negotiations are the only way to reach a political and pacific solution of the conflict, including the final status of Jerusalem,” according to Hernandez.

 

He added: “Mexico supports the dialogue, as it is the best tool to resolve the dispute between Israel and Palestine based on the two-state solution as stipulated in the Oslo Accords and ratified by several resolutions of the United Nations Security Council dating back to June 1976 supporting the two-state solution based on the pre-1967 lines.”

 

The ambassador concluded by expressing his regards to Jordan for supporting Mexico in its election for its seat in the UN Security Council.