Secretary Roberto Velasco Highlights Mexico's Stronger Ties with Africa, a Region of Global Strategic Importance and Dynamic Growth

• Secretary Velasco participated in the inauguration of Africa Week in Mexico, which will take place from May 18-28, with activities aimed at deepening cooperation with African countries
• The event reaffirms Mexico's commitment to an increasingly close, dynamic, and strategic relationship with the African continent

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Roberto Velasco Álvarez today highlighted Mexico's commitment to strengthening its political, economic, academic, and cultural ties with Africa, and its interest in expanding cooperation with a region distinguished by its global strategic importance and dynamism.

Africa Week in Mexico 2026 was inaugurated today at the Foreign Ministry. At the event, Secretary Velasco noted that Mexico-Africa relations are experiencing a moment of renewed dynamism and rapprochement, reflected in the stronger diplomatic and political ties.

Joined by Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs María Teresa Mercado Pérez and by the Ambassador of Côte d'Ivoire to Mexico and dean of the diplomatic corps accredited in Mexico, Robert Djerou Ly, Secretary Velasco emphasized that looking toward Africa is not merely a strategic choice, but an acknowledgment that the present and future of the international community are also shaped by that continent's contributions.

"It is important to establish an international development cooperation agenda with Africa, centered on South-South cooperation, that fosters the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and best practices in priority sectors such as education, health, innovation, and agrotechnology, among others," he said.

As part of the renewed engagement with Africa, the Secretary highlighted the upcoming opening of Kenyan and Ghanaian embassies in Mexico, as well as the visit of several African national teams to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including the opening match between Mexico and South Africa.

Among the scheduled activities, a Mexico-Africa Business Forum was held with three thematic panels on Mexican business experiences in Africa, technological innovation and financial inclusion, and renewable energy and rare minerals. The panels brought together private sector representatives, international organizations, and specialists to discuss investment opportunities and economic cooperation.

The program also includes a virtual meeting with Mexico's honorary consuls in Africa; an academic seminar; the award ceremony for the 2025 Annual Research Prize in African Studies from the University Program for Asian, African, and Oceanian Studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (PUEAAO-UNAM); a film series titled "Africa and the Afro-descendant Diaspora on Screen"; and a panel discussion on "Afro-Mexican Voices in Foreign Policy," focused on highlighting the role of Afro-Mexican communities in building a more inclusive foreign policy.

Observed each year on May 25, Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Organization of African Unity in 1963, predecessor to the current African Union. In Mexico, Africa Week was established between 2006 and 2016 as an annual forum for dialogue and cooperation with the African continent.

Following the successful relaunch of Africa Week in Mexico in 2025, the Foreign Ministry, through its Directorate General for Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East, is continuing the initiative in 2026 to reaffirm Mexico's commitment to strengthening ties with African countries and promoting greater bilateral, regional, and multilateral cooperation in support of an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful African continent.