H.E. Miguel Ángel Isidro
Ambassador of Mexico
By Reaven D’Souza
Managing Editor
Ambassador of Mexico H.E. Miguel Ángel Isidro, with decades of diplomatic experience behind him, is a veteran professional diplomat who has represented his country and served its interests admirably for over 33 years. Suave and amiable in his interactions with people, Ambassador Isidro is engaging to talk with and well-respected in both social and diplomatic circles.
In a recent exclusive interview with The Times Kuwait Managing Editor, Ambassador Isidro spoke at length about his experiences over the years in the diplomatic field, his impressions of living in this country, and the strong bilateral relations that exist between Mexico and Kuwait.
Ambassador Isidro began by narrating an incident in his childhood that impressed and persuaded him to consider becoming a diplomat and to spend the rest of his professional career dedicated to the service of his nation. “At a family reunion held many years ago, I think it was around 50 years ago, an uncle of my mother’s, Dr. Romeo Manrique de Lara, who at the time was working for the World Health Organization as an international civil servant, visited our home. Because of his work, Uncle Romeo had lived abroad and among other countries, he had had the opportunity to reside in China, India and the Netherlands.
“At that family reunion, he shared with us many experiences about his life in those countries. For me it was like a revelation, because at that time, in the late 60’s, early 70’s, thinking about traveling to such distant places was considered something very exotic. Learning about Uncle Romeo’s experiences made a deep impression on me, to the extent that I began to look for a profession that would allow me the opportunity to live abroad. This is how I learned about the diplomatic profession and began a long path of preparation to become a career diplomat and represent my country abroad.”
Reminiscing about his experiences while serving in various countries as an envoy of his nation, the ambassador said: “I have had the privilege of being a member of the Mexican Foreign Service for 33 years now, during this time I have served in Hungary, Guatemala, and in three different consulates in the United States — California, Arizona and Texas — as well as now here in Kuwait as Ambassador of Mexico to this country. There have been many and varied experiences that I have had over the years, and some of these I admit were very challenging.
“However, in general, I can say that diplomatic life offers two important facets: on the one hand, it offers you the privilege of meeting wonderful people and serving in beautiful places. On the other hand, diplomatic life also comes with several aspects that are not so positive, including the difficulty of being away from one’s family and friends, and being away from one’s own country. Despite everything, I have always considered it a privilege and honor to represent Mexico in other countries and that is something I would not change for anything.”
Elaborating on his impressions of life in Kuwait, gained over the past seven years through his interactions with the leaders, officials and ordinary citizens of this country, Ambassador Isidro stated: “I started working in Kuwait in January 2015. Since then, I have had a series of very enriching experiences, both professionally and personally. The dialogues I have held with different authorities have been marked by great cordiality, and I have always found a good disposition among them and the desire to work together for the mutual benefit of both countries.
“In the context of continuing to deepen political dialogue at the highest level between Mexico and Kuwait, numerous visits by officials and legislators have taken place in recent years, which confirm the mutual interest in consolidating channels of interaction. In 2016 numerous agreements were signed, significantly expanding the bilateral legal framework.
In the legislative sphere, two visits to Mexico by Kuwaiti legislators from the Mexico-Kuwait Parliamentary Friendship Group have taken place in recent years. These visits represented a clear signal to advance in a shared vision, with the objective of fostering a better understanding of the respective national realities and situations in each region of the world.”
Turning to other areas where bilateral relations between the two countries have made great progress in recent years, and various sectors that need to be further enhanced, Mexico’s top envoy in Kuwait noted: “Both countries have been working intensively to establish a legal framework to support bilateral political dialogue and to provide a channel for cooperation in various fields, as well as to provide certainty for trade and investment between the private and public sectors of the two countries.
“To date, there is already a robust legal framework comprising a total of 24 instruments, most of which have been finalized in recent years. Now, however, the implementation of these agreements constitutes the main challenge that should merit our full attention. The implementation of the legal framework will be decisive in deepening the bilateral relationship and taking it to a higher stage of collaboration and understanding.
“Also, thanks to the good political understanding between Mexico and Kuwait, important progress has also been made in the multilateral arena, which we recognize as the primary vehicle for agreeing positions on global issues such as the humanitarian agenda, as well as the promotion of peace through negotiation. In this regard, Kuwaiti support for Mexico’s candidacy as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2021- 2022 biennium is noteworthy. This is not the only example. It is also worth highlighting the extensive exchange of support in candidatures for other international organizations, in which Kuwait has in many cases unilaterally granted Mexico its support.”
Expounding on bilateral economic relations, mutual investments, and sectors in his country that would be especially appealing to investors from Kuwait, Ambassador Isidor noted: “As I mentioned earlier, to date, the bilateral legal framework already has a solid framework that will serve as a basis for both governments, as well as their respective private sectors, to move towards the design of actions that will make possible, in the short and medium term, a growth in trade and investment.
The Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (IPPAs) and double taxation and other instruments are fundamental to this end. The potential for economic complementation between the two countries is unquestionable. Hence the need to make progress in the implementation of each of the agreements signed, which offers the opportunity to promote the exchange of experiences and information on various issues.”
Citing the distance between the two countries, and the relatively low level of knowledge among business people on the potential in each others market, as reasons for the relatively low bilateral trade volumes that exist between the two countries, Ambassador Isidro said: “Direct trade between Mexico and Kuwait is almost non-existent and does not correspond to its potential.
According to data from the Mexican Ministry of Economy, in 2019 and 2020 Mexican exports reached a value of US$120 million and $89.7 million, respectively. One reason for the relatively small volume of bilateral trade is that there is very little knowledge on the business and investment climate between entrepreneurs in both countries, given the geographical distance and the structure of their economies and international trade. Nevertheless, there is a good supply of Mexican products in the Kuwait market, mainly in the agri-food sector, which is supplied mainly by US companies.
“Although there are solid expectations for an increase in trade in the medium term, particularly in the agro-industrial and food sectors, there are still technical obstacles that have to be resolved if these expectations are to be realized. In this regard, the main obstacles that are considered decisive in preventing the steady growth of bilateral trade include: the lack of connectivity between Mexico and Kuwait; the absence of direct distribution chains and the high cost of logistics; and the biological and phytosanitary procedures as well as regulations prevailing in Kuwait and the GCC.
“The presence of Mexican products in the Kuwait market confirms that there is a demand for such goods, and that there are ample opportunities for innovative Mexican exporters to enter this market. However, it is important to convince Mexican businessmen of Kuwait’s potential to import Mexican products, as well as to establish itself as an important hub for redistribution to other countries in the region, particularly Iraq and Iran, among others.
Pointing to the tourism sector and its immense scope to attract a large number of visitors from Kuwait if properly marketed, Ambassador Isidor pointed out that tourism is one of the areas where Mexico with its ancient history and innumerable heritage and historic sites truly excels in its potential to attract international visitors, especially from this region.
The ambassador elucidated: “I would like to highlight that Mexico is a country that boasts an incredible amount of UNESCO protected sites. There are in total 35 properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site or Biosphere Reserve list. Moreover, there are as many as nine cities that are fully or partly protected — Mexico City, Oaxaca, Puebla, Guanajuato, Morelia, Zacatecas, Queretaro, Tlacotalpan and Campeche.
“Of course, Mexico City as the capital of the country is one of the most attractive cities. Situated in the same area as the ancient Aztecs city of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City has a long and important historical background. No wonder then that there are more than 1,200 museums and galleries scattered around the capital.
However, among the most visited cities in Mexico is Cancun. This thriving cosmopolitan city is built primarily for tourists as a resort destination along with Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Mujeres islands and the rest of Mayan Riviera. Long sandy beaches and tropical settings can also be found in cities such as Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. These cities are popular among tourists who come to enjoy diving, snorkeling, fishing and a lively vibe.
“On other hand, Mexico rests on the foundations of magnificent ancient civilizations of Maya and Aztecs, among others. Therefore, visitors can visit one of the numerous ancient ruins that stand as a reminder of the important cultural and historical background. One of the most visited archaeological sites is Chichen Itza, located on the Yucatan Peninsula, close to Cancun.
Other important Mayan ruins are the coastal ruins of Tulum with a temple overlooking the sea. Uxmal ruins near Merida used for astronomical purposes but also for religious ceremonies. Palenque, protected by UNESCO, features temples hidden in the jungle and Monte Alban is the hilltop capital of the Zapotecs.
Not far away from Mexico City, Teotihuacan is the greatest ruin of Aztecs, best known for its two pyramids — Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon. The list of ancient ruins does not end here, depending on which parts of Mexico you visit, you will surely find plenty of archaeological sites in the area.”
On the prospect for enhancing cultural exchanges between the two countries, the ambassador stressed: “Mexico is a country with enormous potential in the field of culture. This has facilitated the promotional work that has been carried out in recent years in Kuwait. Through different activities such as exhibitions, music concerts and gastronomic shows, it has been possible to offer Mexico’s best letter of introduction, which has, in turn, increased the interest of Kuwaiti tourists.
Based on the new cultural diplomacy strategy, Mexico’s cultural promotion should be strengthened through joint activities with Kuwaiti institutions, with special emphasis on issues related to the commemoration of Mexican historical dates, as well as exhibitions of Mexican artists, among others.
“Likewise, once the COVID-19 pandemic has been fully overcome at a global level, it would be important to continue promoting Mexico’s tourist destinations through social networks, among other means. Finally, the importance of Mexican gastronomy should be highlighted, as it not only strengthens Mexico’s presence abroad by inducing interest in visiting the country, as well as to experience Mexican culture, but also opens up the possibility of increasing the demand for Mexican products and the insertion of Mexican producers into global value chains.”
Concluding the interview with his thoughts on Kuwait and its future, Ambassador Isidor stated: “It is foreseeable that Kuwait will continue to take advantage of the considerable resources that oil provides. However, aware of the limitations of this development path, it will continue to carry out a series of diversification efforts in parallel, anticipating everything from the energy transition, with investments in renewable energies, to agri-food production, as well as the spending and financing of infrastructure to strengthen its geostrategic position and logistics and connectivity advantages. These transformations offer interesting business opportunities for both countries.
“On the other hand, extraordinary possibilities for the diversification of political relations, as well as educational and cultural cooperation, are increasing. Over the last 46 years Kuwait and Mexico have built an incipient structure of understanding, driven by high-level visits, which has succeeded in establishing a legal framework in different areas and a slight increase in economic and trade exchanges. This has been positive; however, there is still ample room to exploit their potential more broadly.
“It is necessary to continue the efforts to deepen mutual understanding between the two countries and to focus efforts on those areas that can best promote Mexico’s interests. In order to achieve this important goal, in the short and medium term, Mexico should focus its activities on consolidating a greater political presence, advancing the implementation of existing agreements, promoting investment in infrastructure projects and increasing trade, using as its main tool the benefits offered by the promotion of Mexico’s cultural and tourist diversity, as well as its renowned gastronomic richness.”
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