La Asociación Estratégica México-Unión Europea: origen y perspectivas

In October 2008, the Council of the European Union (eu), at the recommendation of the European Commission, decided to strengthen eu-Mexico relations by means of a strategic partnership based on existing legal and institutional ties. After explaining what strategic partnerships with third countries imply for the eu and how such a partnership fits into the context of bilateral relations between the eu and Mexico, the author goes on to discuss why an agreement of this nature is in Mexico’s interests. As per the 2007-2012 National Development Plan, this partnership helps diversify Mexico’s foreign relations, since the 27 countries that belong to the EU constitute a major international market and concentrate a significant proportion of global wealth, technological know-how and political influence. Mexico and the EU have shown the political will to identify priority areas that are of mutual interest and a readiness to take a fresh approach to old problems, but whether or not the strategic partnership stands the test of time and proves effective (as a framework to strengthen bilateral relations with the EU, which are set out in the Global Agreement) will depend of the ability of both parties to sustain political momentum by carefully selecting topics of common interest on which to focus their efforts.