The governments of Belize, Mexico, and Quintana Roo made progress in consolidating a joint strategy to strengthen economic cooperation and promote new investments in the region during a high-level meeting held at the border crossing of Santa Elena, Belize.
The meeting, officially announced from Belmopan, brought together representatives from the Government of Belize, the Federal Government of Mexico, and the Government of Quintana Roo, who discussed various projects aimed at boosting trade, industry, and regional development through the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding between Belize and the state of Quintana Roo.
One of the main topics of the meeting was the integration of a multimodal transportation system for cargo and passengers between the two territories, with particular interest in leveraging the Maya Train infrastructure as a regional connectivity axis.
The delegations also analyzed mechanisms to promote joint investments and attract companies that operate in a synchronized manner between Belize and Quintana Roo, with the aim of strengthening competitiveness and expanding the presence of products and services in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) market.
The Maya Train was one of the strategic projects analyzed to boost connectivity between Quintana Roo and Belize.
Among the points addressed were the possibilities for cooperation between both countries to access Caribbean markets, as well as an analysis of consumer needs within the CARICOM member countries.
The Economic Development Hubs promoted by Mexico were also reviewed, including the industrial park with a bonded warehouse located in Chetumal, considered one of the strategic projects to stimulate economic growth in southern Quintana Roo.
During the working sessions, investment opportunities were also discussed in sectors such as agribusiness, food processing, manufacturing, and energy—areas considered to have great potential for the development of both territories.
Another objective was the creation of synchronized factories and a joint investment promotion strategy to meet the demand of Caribbean markets, taking advantage of the logistical advantages and geographic proximity between Quintana Roo and Belize.
The participating authorities also reviewed the progress in drafting the Memorandum of Understanding between Belize and Quintana Roo, an instrument that seeks to formalize economic cooperation and facilitate the exchange of information between the public and private sectors of both countries.
Officials from both countries reviewed investment opportunities in sectors such as agribusiness, manufacturing, and energy.
They also discussed promoting logistics development and secondary processing industries, as well as organizing a Belize-Mexico Friendship Week to strengthen cultural and commercial ties.
The Government of Belize indicated that this collaboration will allow for greater interaction between businesspeople from both regions and will open new business opportunities in the short term.
The Belizean delegation included the Director General of the Corozal Free Zone, Neri Ramírez; the Director of the Investment Policy and Compliance Unit of the Ministry of Investment, Lincoln Blake; Carmen Sosa, from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Economic Development Council, along with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and BELTRAIDE, participated in the meeting.
Mexico was represented by Carlos Imanol, Director General for Central America and the Caribbean at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Paul Carrillo de Cáceres, Secretary of Economic Development for Quintana Roo; Martha Lizzeth Pacheco, head of the Chetumal Economic Development Hub for Well-being; and Ana Luisa Vallejo, Mexico’s Ambassador to Belize.
The meeting represents a new step in the economic integration strategy between Mexico and Belize, at a time when both governments are seeking to leverage the logistical advantages of southern Quintana Roo to transform the region into a trade hub with Caribbean countries.
Source: quintanaroo.heraldodemexico
