The BRICS countries as a group are playing "a key role" in bringing greater balance to global governance in an increasingly more plural and diverse world, said Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.[Special Coverage]
Since BRICS members began to meet annually eight years ago, "we have seen important progress in the goals it set, particularly in the area of cooperation and coordination in multilateral forums on economic and political governance," he told Xinhua in a recent interview.
The Mexican leader is going to China to attend a Dialogue of Emerging Economies on the sidelines of the upcoming ninth summit of the BRICS bloc of emerging nations that include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will be presiding over both the BRICS summit in the southeastern city of Xiamen from Sept. 3 to 5, and the Dialogue of Emerging Economies and Developing Countries to be held on the final day with the leaders from BRICS and five other emerging nations: Egypt, Tajikistan, Guinea, Thailand and Mexico.
The dialogue offers Mexico "an opportunity to present its outlook on the topics that China, as organizer of the event, has brought to the table, especially development, south-south cooperation, promoting connectivity and trade, and ways to eradicate poverty, said Pena Nieto.
"Mexico is committed to each of those issues to make headway towards a more just, prosperous and inclusive world," said Pena Nieto, adding "we are most willing to continue to promote international collaboration towards these goals."
"In addition, we see they (BRICS countries) have focused on innovative collaboration projects, such as the New Development Bank (NDB)," said the president.
The Shanghai-based NDB was created to supplement traditional West-led lending institutions, including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, both based in Washington.
Mexico values China's different development initiatives, including efforts to promote cooperation among emerging economies, between China and Latin America and with developing countries on the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.
CHINA-CELAC COOPERATION
To drive development cooperation with Latin America, China spearheaded an alliance with the region's largest bloc, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). The first China-CELAC ministerial meeting was held in Beijing in January 2015.
That partnership has "great potential" to deepen ties between the two sides, especially in tackling global challenges, noted Pena Nieto.
