Miriam Maluwa (left) converses with Maria Pinchin (right), while Myriam Portacarero, (second left) does the same with Sylvia Collister.

Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writer

It has been an enduring and mutually beneficial relationship between Jamaica and Mexico, since the countries first established diplomatic missions in their respective countries in 1967.

Last Friday, the Embassy of Mexico and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica jointly hosted a reception to mark the 40th anniversary of the inaugural exchange of ambassadors between Jamaica and Mexico.

Ambassador for Mexico, H.E. Leonora Rueda, and Senator the Hon. Delano Franklyn, the minister of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, played hosts to the gathering of mostly diplomats who converged on the 18th floor of the Hilton Kingston hotel to join in celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Special bond of friendship

Ambassador Rueda opened the formalities, noting, "Today Mexico and Jamaica continue to collaborate and work closely together, facing the new challenges brought forward by this era of globalisation." Senator Franklyn continued, outlining that, "It is a special bond of friendship and partnership which has characterised the relations between Jamaica and Mexico over these many years, at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels."

According to a communiqu? issued by the ministry, "Collaboration over the years has spanned the areas of language training, education, agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries, science and technology and sports."

Both Ambassador Rueda and Senator Franklyn, speaking on behalf of their respective countries, announced their commitment to "strengthening and further deepening of the fraternal relations shared between both countries."

Jamaica's Ambassador to Mexico, HE Sheila Sealy-Monteith, and her husband Vivian, hosted a special Jamaican culture night at the University Club in Mexico City last month, also to recognise the 40th anniversary celebrations.

Ambassador Sealy-Monteith, in her remarks to the gathering, cited the productive engagements between Jamaica and Mexico in a number of areas, while noting that there remained room for further engagement.

Much to learn

Tequila! Chinese Ambassador Chen Jinghua (left) and wife Xiao Linhua (centre) join Mexican Ambassador, Leonora Rueda in having a drink of tequila, at the reception to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mexico and Jamaica. - photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

"Despite our geographical proximity, our peoples need to be brought closer together," she said. "There is much that we can learn from each other and more of our products that can be sold in our respective markets," she continued.

Among the guests at the reception were Argentinean Ambassador Mario Jos? Pino and his wife Fanny; Chinese Ambassador Chen Jinghua and his wife Xiao Linhua; Canadian High Commissioner Denis Kingsley and his wife Jo-Ann; German Ambassador Volker Schegel; Ecuadorian Consul Clelia Barreto de Hunter; Drs. Dhiru and Laura Tanna; British High Commissioner Jeremy Cresswell and his leading lady, Dr. Barbara Munske; Spanish Ambassador Jesus Silva; Chris and Michelle Bovell; Miriam Maluwa of UNAIDS; Consul of Slovakia and Vice Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Christopher Issa; Belgian Ambassador Herman Portacarero and his wife Myriam; Ambassador Maxine Roberts; Miki Takenaka; Ambassador Douglas Saunders; Marina Stakenborg of the European Delegation; Nadia Garcia; Lupita Garcia; Sandra Grant-Griffiths, Chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Victor Zotin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation and his wife Olga.