Canada, Mexico sign accords to seal relaunch of relations

Canada and Mexico sealed their reconciliation Tuesday with the cancelation by Ottawa of the requirement for Mexicans to have a visa to enter the country and the total opening of the Latin American country to Canadian meat products.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto spoke of the reconciliation following talks here ahead of Wednesday’s Summit of North American Leaders, where they will be joined by U.S. chief executive Barack Obama.

During the joint press conference in which Trudeau and Peña Nieto announced the new accords, both presidents admitted the damage done by the visa requirement, imposed six years ago by the Conservative government of thenPrime Minister Stephen Harper.

“Since 2009 a barrier has been imposed and today with great political will we are knocking it down,” Peña Nieto said after describing Trudeau as “a good friend” and recalling that he was the first Mexican president to make a state visit to Canada in 15 years.

The visa requirement, imposed unexpectedly and unilaterally by Canada as Mexicans’ pleas for refuge increased, put a freeze on relations between the two countries.

Tensions increased as the Harper government refused to revoke the measure despite that steps taken to restrict the arrival of Mexicans seeking refuge.

Relations became so bad that Harper twice canceled the Summit of North American Leaders to avoid meeting with the Mexican president.

Bilateral relations only began to improve with the victory of Trudeau and the Liberal Party in the general elections of October 2015.

In an atmosphere of renewed understanding, Mexico has accepted opening its borders to Canadian beef products, which have been severely limited since the appearance in 2003 of the first case of madcow disease in Canadian cattle.

Peña Nieto said the opening of the Mexican market to Canadian beef products will take place next October.

Both leaders noted that the accords reached Tuesday are an example for the rest of the world at a time of “protectionist trends,” such as those touted by U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump.