During his visit to Jamaica, Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari signed bilateral agreements with Deputy Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, focusing on drug trade containment, sports, culture, and tourism. President Salinas also awarded Patterson the Aztec Eagle Decoration, Mexico's highest honour for foreign nationals, during a ceremony at Vale Royal.

Published Tuesday, July 31, 1990

Jamaica, Mexico sign bilateral agreements

Drug trade, sports, culture, tourism

BILATERAL agreements on containing the drug trade and on sports, culture and tourism were signed yesterday by Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, and Deputy Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, at Jamaica House.

Nearly an hour later, President Salinas pinned the golden Decoration of the Aztec Eagle of the Order of Banda on Patterson, prior to lunch at Vale Royal.

The Order has also been received by Prime Minister Michael Manley and several other top Caribbean leaders. Aztec Eagle is the national bird of Mexico, according to Ambassador Joaquin Mercado.

Patterson said at Vale Royal that, on the journey from the Norman Manley International Airport to Jamaica House, in which both men travelled together in the 'protocol car', they had talked about matters of mutual interest.

He said that he hoped that from those discussions would flow mutual understanding and a greater concern for regional cooperation.

President Salinas said that it was a decoration that the people of Mexico bestowed on its friends, and that Patterson had always sought to promote positive relations between the two countries.

Details of the agreements signed were not available, but both Minister of National Security K.D. Knight and Minister of Tourism, Senator Frank Pringle expressed confidence that the agreements would be to the immense benefit of both countries.

Cricket

“We will teach you cricket and we hope to improve our skills in football at your expense ... but the agreements are most timely,”Patterson said.

President Salinas said that the drug agreement reiterated Mexico’s commitment to working with other nations in the region to fight against the “cancer” of drug trafficking.

He said that Mexico would continue to play an active role in the fight against drugs, to which it was fully committed, within the confines of the rights of its people.

President Salinas, dressed in a dark suit, landed at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday at approximately 1:25 p.m.

The airport outdoors was cooled by a heavy wind, despite a blazing afternoon sun. The flags of  both countries danced to the beat of the breeze, a guard of honour, made up of Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldiers who stood at attention in their red and black uniforms, and a few dozen people, watched from the waving gallery as the white, blue and beige Fuerza Aerea Mexicana presidential aircraft, nicknamed 'Presidente Juarez', came to a stop on the tarmac.

The wind was so heavy, JDF soldiers struggled to keep down the L-shaped red carpet leading from the aircraft to the saluting dias on the tarmac. As soon as the plane landed, the JDF struck a 21-gun salute.

President Salinas met Governor General Sir Florizel Glasspole, then Patterson, before meeting members of the Cabinet, Senator Oswald Harding, representing Opposition Leader Edward Seaga, and other leaders, at the airport.

President Salinas was scheduled to address a dinner hosted by the governor general last night at King’s House, where he was to be given the honour of the Order of Jamaica, after meeting with Mr. Seaga and some CARICOM leaders yesterday afternoon.

Today, he will have breakfast at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, lay a wreath at National Heroes Park, address the 11th CARICOM Heads of Government Conference, then depart from the Norman Manley Airport at noon.

For feedback: contact the Editorial Department at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.