Ghana’s dynamic development and bright future have drawn the attention of partners around the world, and Mexico is no exception. As we work to diversify our trade, investment and cooperation footprint around the world, it makes sense to approach governments and societies with which we share core priorities and principles.

I visit Accra this week to meet with my colleagues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, as well as officials in other ministries, parliamentarians, academics and the media. Mexico’s goals are clear: We seek to reassert our friendship, encourage the private sector to create new links, expand our dialogue on bilateral and global issues, and identify new areas of collaboration.

Mexico and Ghana share democratic values and both recognize the importance of embracing diversity. At the national level, we seek economic growth, but most importantly social inclusion. We act to strengthen the respect of human rights and the rule of law, and to create a favourable business environment. At the regional and global levels, we are both committed to multilateralism and the rules-based international order.

Our common history goes further back than is commonly known. Mexico was the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic relations with Ghana, in 1961.

We had an embassy in Accra from 1965 to 1980, which was reopened in 2014.

Ghana was the first African country to have an embassy in Mexico, now closed, that we hope can be reestablished in the near future.

Mexico’s presence in Ghana’s capital has encouraged our companies in search of non-traditional markets to explore opportunities. Its well-deserved reputation as a gateway to Africa and its flagship policy of “Ghana Beyond Aid” have generated interest and brought in a first investment from my country, AgroMoneta, a producer of greenhouse hydroponic vegetables.

Additional opportunities will open up as tariffs on intra-African trade are progressively eliminated within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which will establish its Secretariat in Accra.

Our interest is reciprocated by our Ghanaian friends and partners. In recent years we have received visits by the Minister of Trade and Industry, the Speaker of the Parliament, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the CEO of the Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC), as well as private sector representatives.

The Mexican economy is highly internationalized. Our foreign trade as a share of GDP stands at 80%, and important companies of all sizes have a global presence.

To continue building momentum, this week we are establishing a High-Level Political Consultations Mechanism. We will discuss our respective national priorities, to identify where we can share expertise or launch concrete initiatives. We will also review regional and global issues, where we play increasingly important roles as promoters of constructive agendas in areas such as climate change, sustainable development, and gender equality. We are stronger when we act together.

Mexico and Ghana are building a stronger relationship. This requires a sustained effort from both governments, and an ever-increasing engagement by our business communities and civil societies. We are taking concrete and determined steps, and advancing in the right direction.