QUEBEC CITY, Canada — Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said that Mexico and Canada should take advantage of the two countries’ affinities and commonalities to encourage innovation and environmental sustainability and to promote economic integration in North America.
During the official welcoming ceremony at the Citadelle, as part of his state visit to the nation, the president said that Mexico recognizes Canada’s international leadership in environmental protection and respect for human rights.
In the event led by Canadian Governor General David Johnston, Peña Nieto emphasized that Canada and Mexico are multicultural and inclusive nations, saying, “We are two countries fully aware of our regional and global responsibilities.”
In Quebec City, registered as a world heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Peña Nieto said the two nations have managed to build a strong bilateral relationship for more than seven decades based on respect and reciprocal trust.
“We have gone from sharing a geographical region to sharing projects,” he said in his first official act of the tour.
In the Parade Square of the building that houses the official residence of the governor, beneath a light rain, the president said that as democratic societies, Mexico and Canada “have achieved a growing and dynamic integration.”
“Our closeness is seen in the intense trade between our economies, seen in the flow of tourism between the two countries, as well as positive academic and professional exchanges,” he said.
After singing the anthems of Mexico and Canada and reviewing his troops honor, Peña Nieto said that the governments of the two countries will further deepen the bonds of understanding and friendship.
“Canadians and Mexicans share the values and goals of development and share with us the same vision about the world we want,” he said.
Peña Nieto said that his visit to the state of Quebec has a special meaning for the Mexican delegation, because cultural diversity, regional identity and national unity converge in this providence. For migrants, “it is synonymous with hospitality, certainty in the present and hope for the future,” he said.
“There are many homes that proudly hold their Mexican nationality with pride, and have in their hearts a legitimate love for this land that has welcomed them with open arms,” Peña Nieto said.
In turn, Governor General Johnston said that the two countries have great potential for a more fruitful and more prosperous alliance.
He said Canada is pleased to be a long-term committed ally of Mexico, making North America a more secure, prosperous and humane place.
Johnston called for greater academic exchanges, promoting greater investment and trade relations and bequeathing future generations a cleaner and sustainable environment, and a more supportive, inclusive and just world.