Germany and Mexico intend to work together more closely to combat organized crime such as drug cartels, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul following consultations of the German-Mexican bilateral commission in Mexico City.
“The significant rise in drug use in Germany and across Europe is a cause of great concern to us. That is why we must work together very closely on this,” said Wadephul, who chaired the meeting with his Mexican counterpart Roberto Velasco.
“We are seeing Europe being virtually inundated by a wave of drugs originating from this region – not only from Mexico, but also from other Central and South American countries,” Wadephul told journalists on Friday on the sidelines of a visit to mark the 60th anniversary of Germany's Goethe Institute cultural centre in the Mexican capital.
“That is why it must be in our interest to strengthen security cooperation here.”
He said he would discuss the issue with German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. One of the most important outcomes of his visit to Mexico was “not only the interest, but also the will to work very closely together from now on”.
Wadephul had said that the fight against organized crime was at the top of the agenda for cooperation.
Cartels are working together very effectively across continents, he said, with the result that large quantities of drugs are reaching Europe.
First commission meeting in seven years
The bilateral commission met for the first time in seven years.
Velasco said that relations between Mexico and Germany “are among the strongest and most diverse between Europe and Latin America.” Within the framework of the commission, initiatives on sustainable development such as water management and the transition to green energy were discussed.
Mexico has a population of 130 million and is Latin America’s second-largest economy.
Due to its proximity to the United States and the North American Free Trade Agreement with the US and Canada, the country is also an important production hub for German companies.
More than 2,000 companies with German capital investment operate in Mexico, which is Germany’s most important trading partner in Latin America.
German car and car parts manufacturers have been producing there for decades. Mexico is also attractive to the pharmaceutical, chemical and logistics sectors.
Shortly before the start of the football World Cup in co-host nation Mexico, Wadephul and Velasco exchanged their national team shirts in front of huge artistically designed footballs. Both countries have met not only on a diplomatic level but also in stadiums, said Velasco.
Economic issues took centre stage at the end of Wadephul’s two-day visit. In Mexico City, he met representatives of German companies and also Finance Minister Édgar Amado.
To round off his visit, the foreign minister was given a tour of a facility run by the German pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck. Merck employs just under 1,200 people in Mexico.
