Chilean President Bachelet arrives in Mexico for state visit

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet arrived here Thursday to start a two-day state visit to Mexico.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto received Bachelet by hosting a special ceremony at Campo Marte of Mexico City, the national capital of Mexico, which was also meant to mark the 25th anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

President Pena Nieto hailed ties of the two countries as "firm and permanent" in a speech welcoming his Chilean counterpart.

In return, Bachelet said she had come to celebrate 25 years of ties, but also "to give a new impulse to our strategic relationship." She also said that her visit would allow both countries to focus on development issues, on global governance, and on Latin American regional integration.

The two heads of state were expected to discuss issues involving 13 areas, including education, tourism, health, finances, science and technology, security, environment, consumer protection, and culture, among others.

The two countries broke off ties after the Chilean coup orchestrated by Augusto Pinochet to overthrow the government of Salvador Allende. At the time, Mexican President Luis Echeverria opened Mexico's doors to Chilean refugees fleeing persecution.

"Mexico and Chile renewed their historic friendship over 25 years ago after a dark chapter or history in which we learned that nobody can be allowed to violate human rights," said Bachelet, adding that Chile truly learned a lesson in solidarity from Mexico at that time.

Moving on to the new challenges facing Latin America, she stated that the region must speak with a common voice "to move toward a large shared space of freedom, democracy, social inclusion and economic progress."

Bilateral trade of the two countries reached 3.54 billion U.S. dollars last year. Chile is Mexico's third-largest trade partner in the region, after Brazil and Colombia.