Mexico, Canada agree to strengthen strategic relationship

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and visiting Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Tuesday that the two countries would strengthen strategic relations as part of their celebration of 70 years of diplomatic ties. Mexico's "relationship with Canada is important and relevant," Pena Nieto said during a meeting with Harper, adding that the two countries are strategic partners especially in the last 20 years after the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into force. He noted that Canada is the second destination of Mexican exports and the fourth largest investor in Mexico with an investment of more than 15 billion U.S. dollars. "We have a commercial relationship between the two nations over 35 billion dollars a year, and Canadian companies in Mexico drive our competitiveness in dynamic sectors such as finance and aerospace," Pena Nieto said. For his part, Harper highlighted the "incredible growth in bilateral investment and tourism" recorded after the signing of NAFTA. The Canadian prime minister arrived here Monday for an official visit and will participate in the 7th North American Leaders' Summit Wednesday with the heads of state of the United States and Mexico in Toluca of central Mexico State. Under the theme of "North American Competitiveness," the one-day summit is expected to focus on how to revitalize NAFTA, which was signed by the United States, Canada and Mexico and came into force on Jan. 1, 1994.