Paet: Mexico interested in closer business ties with Estonia

Photo: Välisministeerium

Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, who is on a visit in Mexico together with Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb and an Estonian-Finnish business delegation, said at the Estonia-Finland-Mexico business seminar that in 2012 Estonia’s export to Mexico multiplied. “Last year Estonia’s export to Mexico exceeded 110 million euros and made up 0.9% of our total export,” he said. “This meant that Mexico rose to the position of Estonia’s 20th trade partner,” he added.

Paet invited Mexican businesses to invest in Estonia. “Estonia has an open economy and many information technology solutions that simplify business and its management,” he noted. To date, Mexican companies have made direct investments in Estonia’s information and communication sector as well as real estate.

The following Estonian entrepreneurs have joined Foreign Minister Paet on his visit to Mexico: Alekon Cargo OÜ, which handles transport, logistics, and storage services; CF&S Estonia AS, which also handles logistics, transport, and storage services; ChemiPharm AS, which produces disinfectants for medical establishments; Defendec, which deals with high-tech monitoring equipment (used, for example, for border control); Real Systems, which is a developer of professional information systems and software solutions; Regio AS, which is the largest creator of mobile positioning software in Europe; Tavid AS, whose primary areas are investment gold and currency exchange but also handles currency transfers; Vesimentor OÜ, which makes polyethylene products primarily for telecommunications companies; and the Port of Tallinn. The delegation also includes members of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Enterprise Estonia.

According to Paet, the companies participating in the Mexico visit offer top quality products and services in their fields. “We hope that the contacts created at the seminar will give an impetus for future co-operation,” he noted.

During Foreign Minister Paet and Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade Stubb’s joint meeting with the deputy minister of economic affairs of Mexico, Foreign Minister Paet said that there is a simple and transparent business environment in Estonia and Mexican companies could consider investing in Estonia as a gateway to the Scandinavian and Russian markets.

“We hope that the contacts created between Estonian and Mexican entrepreneurs during this trip will help make this happen,” said Paet. “The co-operation agreement concluded in Mexico between the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Mexican Chamber of International Trade, Investments and Technology will also facilitate the creation of closer ties between our business communities,” he added.

Foreign Minister Paet stated that the logistics sector could be an area of mutual interest for Estonia and Mexico. “Thanks to Estonia’s geographical location and well-developed economic environment, we could be a distribution centre for cargo coming from and going to Mexico,” stated Paet. “The information technology sector also offers many opportunities for co-operation. Concrete co-operation with Regio to use location-based solutions in Mexico has already begun, and hopefully many of our other innovative e-solutions will come here soon as well,” he added.

Foreign Minister Paet also met with Mexico’s deputy minister for health care, with whom he talked about co-operation in the e-health sector.

Nearly 100 participants took part in the Estonia-Finland-Mexico business seminar.