ANGARA MEETS NEW MEXICAN PRESIDENT PEÑA NIETO

Mexico City--Senator Edgardo J. Angara represented the Philippines at the inauguration of new Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on December 1 as President Benigno S. Aquino III's special envoy.

The warmly applauded inaugural was attended by several heads of state and special representatives from around the world, including US Vice President Joe Biden and Prince Felipe, heir apparent to the Spanish throne.

Peña Nieto outlined 13 priority policy actions for his administration, including education reform, crime prevention, social welfare and fiscal discipline. Specifically, his promise to overhaul the general education law, improve the professional career development of teachers, make broadband Internet access the right of all Mexicans, and promote competition in media and telecommunications were highly praised.

Peña Nieto also accepted the invitation conveyed by Aquino through Angara to come to Manila on an official state visit next year en route to to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Conference in Jakarta. Peña Nieto verbally instructed presidential protocol to respond officially to Aquino's invitation.

"This visit will further revive our ties with Mexico, and ensure that one of the biggest countries in the American continent and one of the most resilient economies in Asia will be the strongest of partners," said Angara.

Angara also met with Madame Margarita Zavala, wife of outgoing Preisdent Felipe Calderon, who visited Manila in November last year. She reiterated her endorsement for the creation of a Galleon Museum in Manila, a project to be jointly supported by the Philippines, Mexico, and the rest of the 36 countries once involved in the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade. The Galleon Museum is hoped to be built in time for the Philippines' hosting of the APEC conference in 2015.

Angara also met with former Senator Ricardo Garcia Cervantes, Head of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) in Mexico; Senator Gabriela Cuevas, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; and Senator Laura Roxas, member of the Senate Committee on Anti-corruption and Citizen Participation, all of whom committed to attend the 5th GOPAC Global Conference which will be held in Manila from January 30 to February 2, 2013.

Angara was sent as the official presidential envoy to the historic inauguration for his untiring efforts to strengthen the Philippines' ties with Spain, Mexico, and the Ibero-American community of nations.

In 2010, Angara was awarded the Premio Casa Asia, making him the first Southeast Asian to win Spain's highest foreign policy prize. He was also inducted as a Corresponding Academic Member of the prestigious Real Academia Hispano Americana De Ciencias, Artes Y Letras (Royal Hispano-American Academy of Science, Arts and Letters), becoming the first non-Spanish speaker to be elected to the global network of scholars.