"Eurasia Diary" presents an interview with the Ambassador of Mexico to Azerbaijan - Juan Rodrigo Labardini.
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- Mr. Ambassador, please tell me what are the economic ties between two countries today?
Rodrigo Labardini: Speaking about the economic interaction between our countries, I can say with confidence that everything is going well. Certainly not as we would like, but still everything is quite well. Trade between the two countries, I will show you our graph in a few minutes, has greatly increased since the embassy was established here in Azerbaijan.
You will see that the graph increased sharply in 2008 and 2009, when the Mexican embassy opened in Baku, the surge was clearly visible. In 2019, the record was high and it reached 52.4 million. In 1992, in 2014, the average annual rate was 2.2 million. Since then, the chart has grown to the point that it reached $ 52.4 mln in 2019.
And in 2020 the trade went with an intensive, confident step. According to Azerbaijani statistics, it reached 9 tenths of a million dollars. Back in January and February, trade between two countries was successful, but already in March, due to the coronavirus pandemic, it began to decline slightly. But I would like to emphasise once again that even in such a difficult time - during the pandemic, it reached the level of $ 50.1 million, which was still clearly visible on the schedule of the year before last 2019. In 2020, there was a slight decline, but if we compare with the years before, then I can confidently say that the indicators of 2020 are much higher.
This is an indicator that everything is really going well, for example, there are some products that last year demonstrated the great economic potential that our countries have in trade issues. I already told you in our previous interview that 9-13% of oil pipes used for the oil industry come from Mexico to Azerbaijan. Mexico produces almost 5 million cars a year, of which in 2016, Azerbaijan imported only 5 units, in 2017 Azerbaijan imported 127, in 2019 - up to 550, and every year the number doubles.
And in 2020, despite the pandemic, the growth doubled - to almost 1,500 and then tripled in one year, in the very difficult period of time. Thus, it once again shows the strength of bilateral trade relations.
Mr. Labardini also noted that Mexico is a major producer of electrical appliances, pipes and various equipment for the oil industry, one of the largest exporters of beer and other food products.
In terms of tequila, despite COVID-19, the trade on this product is still higher than in previous years, clearly showing that there is a potential market despite the difficulties associated with the coronavirus pandemic.
- Please tell us about the projects that you managed to implement during the pandemic. Also, let's talk about new projects that you plan to implement.
Rodrigo Labardini: The past 2020 was difficult for everyone, the pandemic opened our eyes to a lot. It was a year of mistakes, a year of diligent attempts to find new solutions to problems. An important aspect, which was taking care of your own health. We did not have time to move away from the first wave, having decided that all the worst was over, we were overtaken by the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
And an important aspect was to maintain social distance, the mandatory wearing of masks and hygiene, so as not to be infected with the coronavirus. But, modern life does not stop and modern realities require people to be more collected and be able to adapt to certain difficulties. As an example, I would like to mention a virtual meeting between the parliaments of Mexico and Azerbaijan, which is an unexpected introduction in itself.
We also had to present films that would show and tell about culture, present pictures and photographs. This time we did it online and it was very successful. If earlier we could not even imagine how it would be possible to transmit or show something through online programmes such as Zoom and Skype, then in the current situation it shows that we are already getting used to this kind of platforms, and they don't even fail at fulfilling any tasks.
Last year we managed to present several films, one of which was called “Polar Bear”. Fascinating plot, amazing script. And what is most surprising is that this film was shot using a simple mobile phone, without using any other technique.
Besides that, another event was the National Mexican Day, which featured 8 Mexican artists, an orchestra, guitar, marimba and piano. This international event was held at a very high level, despite the fact that it was first presented online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We managed to show a grandiose spectacle, which was watched by at least 450 people, which is very good in itself.
On November 25, we also organised a gender-related event. We plan to hold such events on the 25th of every month, in support of the protection of women's rights, in memory of the international day for the protection of the rights of women, girls, against violence. Despite the fact that the pandemic is likely to continue, we must not lag behind the new realities offered to us by life, but rather go hand in hand with them.
- What is the position of Mexico on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?
Rodrigo Labardini: Mexico supports the idea of a peaceful resolution of the conflict, and this is very important. We support the work of the Minsk Group, they are working on this issue, but they need to work more actively. We support the Minsk Group co-chairs as a whole. It is important to remember the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, they must be implemented unconditionally, international law must be observed, one of which, without a doubt, is the preservation of the territorial integrity of the state. We are following developments closely and continue to provide support as much as possible.
- What about education? Can Azerbaijani students return to Mexico to continue their studies during the pandemic?
Rodrigo Labardini: If someone wants to travel to Mexico, due to the COVID-19 restrictions, first of all they should contact the embassy for information, as everything in the world changes every day. We will always be glad to see you with us and are always ready to help.
Please watch the video for further details of the interview
By Jamila Chebotareva
