“No day is the same here and that makes this country so special” | Ministries
Blog post | 18-11-2022 | Get to know our ambassadors and their work
For the Dutch ambassador in Mexico, Wilfred Mohr, no day is the same in the country with which the Netherlands has had diplomatic relations for almost 200 years. Both countries think alike on many important issues. Educational and cultural institutions from Mexico and the Netherlands also know how to find each other.
Do we in the Netherlands have a good picture of Mexico?
“Mexico is more varied than many Dutch people think. When people think of Mexico, the drug violence is often the first thing that comes to mind. As if life here is exactly like in the Netflix series like Narcos and Ozark. And yes, there is violence and insecurity, but Mexico is so much more. The country is the fourteenth largest economy in the world and a member of the G20 and OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development). In addition to tourism, the country has an industrial infrastructure that can compete with other countries in the competitive global market. In addition, the nature of Mexico is indescribably beautiful and varied, the cultural offer is large and the food fantastic.”
Is it fun to be an ambassador to Mexico?
“Every day is a joy to work here. The work of my team and I is not the same every day. We work on various dossiers in the fields of politics, culture, education and human rights. Mexico is a large country with a federal structure, which is why it is important to regularly show our face outside the capital. We also organize trade missions from the Netherlands and visit Mexican and Dutch companies. We also organize various cultural activities.”
You are also an ambassador to Belize. How do you combine both functions?
“Belize is a small country with which the Netherlands cooperates well in the UN context, for example. A very broad and deep political and economic cooperation is not immediately available. So I spent 95 percent of my time working in Mexico. I try to visit Belize once or twice a year. Gradually, an employee made a visit with the mobile passport station. There are about 60 Dutch citizens who sometimes need consular assistance, such as a new passport.”
Do you already speak enough Spanish after two years?
“Luckily that is going quite well. I can turn red later in all situations. During ‘class’, 35 years ago, Spanish was my language of choice. When I arrived here two years ago, I picked up my Spanish through courses and learned a lot. I advise anyone who wants to live and work here to learn Spanish. You won’t make it with only English, certainly not in the public sector and outside the capital.”
How is the relationship between the Netherlands and Mexico?
“The bilateral relationship is good. The Netherlands was the second country to recognize Mexico’s independence at the end of the Mexican War of Independence against Spain. Diplomatic relations between the two countries date back almost 200 years. The Netherlands and Mexico have the same view on many important dossiers. We work together when it comes to human rights, non-proliferation, climate, cyber resilience and digital security. In addition, economic and trade relations are intensive and implemented.”
Will appreciation for other areas also be united?
“An important priority is our human rights program. We have identified three: freedom of expression (particularly protection of journalists), promotion of diversity (particularly aimed at the LGBTIQ+ community) and the prevention of violence against women (femicide). A lot is also happening in the field of education. Dutch and Mexican universities exchange hundreds of students each year. There is a lot of exchange, especially between medical, technical and agricultural courses. The embassy organizes an annual meeting for Mexican students who go to the Netherlands to get to know our country. Twice a year we organize a meeting at the residence for all Mexican alumni from the Netherlands to maintain the relationship. For Dutch faculty associations who travel to Mexico, we give a presentation about Mexico on request when they are here.”
does Mexico offer opportunities for the Dutch business community?
“Mexico is the fourteenth largest economy in the world to have a free trade agreement with the US and Canada. Eighty percent of Mexican exports are destined for the US. Dutch companies that are active here therefore have access to the US as a sales market in addition to the Mexican market with 130 million inhabitants. In addition, a new trade agreement between the EU and Mexico is currently being finalised. That will hopefully be signed in 2023. The embassy offers, together with the NBSO (Dutch Support Bureau) in Querétaro and six honorary consulates support companies that are or want to become active in Mexico. We do this, among other things, by providing information and advice (for example about certification and the import of products), making connections, but also by organizing company missions.”
Mexico is more than drug and gang violence, but it is part of the daily routine. How is this topic merged?
“This issue has so far been handled primarily by the Washington Police Attaché. However, due to the Cabinet’s ‘undermining agenda’, it has been decided that Mexico will have an independent police attaché. It will start in early 2023. This attaché will soon form the cooperation between countries in the fight against organized crime. And that fight is desperately needed. For example, the Netherlands is interesting for Mexican cartels for synthetic drugs due to the skill and experience that the Netherlands has built up in the production of XTC. The fight against drugs therefore consists not only of stopping exports to Europe from South America, but also of countering activities in the Netherlands.”
With two exhibitions and a television series, there is great appreciation and interest for Frida Kahlo in the Netherlands. What does the embassy do for the cultural exchange between Mexico and the Netherlands?
“The embassy has a budget for cultural activities that we organize annually through a open Call divide. Last year we received forty proposals. There are two winners this year. The first project was a collaboration between Dutch and Mexican film producers in the context of the Guanajuato International Film Festival. The second winning project is an exhibition of paintings made by artists with a disability. In 2023 we will divide the budget between two open calls. Proposals can then be submitted in January and July.”
What can the Netherlands learn from Mexico?
“I marveled at the ‘can domentality’ and the adaptability of entrepreneurs in Mexico. You can taste this entrepreneurial mentality especially in the north of the country, where the focus is on the United States (US). This part of Mexico has many companies that produce and supply to the US. Some companies are American or European owned and others wholly Mexican. In all companies you will find Mexicans in all positions; from the assembly line to management and the board. It is impressive to see how the private sector has evolved over the past fifty years.”
You’ve been ambassador for two years now. What are the spearheads for your remaining two years?
“I expected that the business community will capitalize on many more opportunities thanks to last September’s water mission. Another priority will be the host landscape of the European Union next year at the largest Spanish-language book fair in the world. There we will present the Dutch literary world. In the field of human rights, the Netherlands will initiate a project next year that will help Mexico identify missing persons. Since 2006, 100,000 people have disappeared. 50,000 bodies have been found so far that need to be identified. This project offers the families of the missing a chance to close a final period. This project is being carried out by an organization from Guatemala in that country, but Bosnia and Rwanda also have experience with identification through DNA testing and are being carried out in Nayarit, a state in western Mexico. In short, we work on dossiers for business, politics, human rights, culture and security. No day is the same here and that makes this country so special.”