The very fact that Canadian Ambassador to Mexico Pierre Alarie sat down for an interview with the Guadalajara Reporter this week is an example of the huge political culture shift that has rocked Ottawa since Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau took office on November 4.
“Less than an hour after he was sworn in, in a letter to all heads of missions abroad, the prime minister said that he intended to give us more freedom and rely more on our opinions and expertise in the field to direct his foreign policy,” Alarie said.
Under the Stephen Harper administration, media relations staff were told to approve requests – and lists of journalists’ questions – before granting any interviews with diplomats and scientists.
The new government’s more relaxed approach to foreign policy also encompasses a name change “to reflect more what our role is in the world,” said Alarie.
The long-winded Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development has been changed to the snappy title of Global Affairs Canada.
It’s a wind of change that excites Alarie, who was plucked from his senior role at the Canadian Commercial Corporation to serve as the nation’s envoy to Mexico back in April. His diplomatic experience comes from working for the Department of External Affairs between 1982 and 1991, when he held posts in the European bureau in Ottawa and made tours of duty to Nigeria and Chile. Entering the private sector, he was based for 11 years in Mexico City, holding senior positions with Bombardier, SNC-Lavalin International and the Bank of Nova Scotia. He later took the position of vice president, business development and sales, with the Canadian Commercial Corporation, which helps Canadian exporters access foreign government procurement markets through government-to-government contracting.
This blend of diplomatic and commercial experience, and knowledge of Mexico, makes Alarie – on paper, at least – appear the perfect conduit to facilitate Trudeau’s stated aim of revitalizing Canada’s relationship with Mexico.
“(The election of the new government) does represent a shift in the bilateral relationship,” Alarie said. “On the night of the election President Enrique Peña Nieto was the first foreign leader to speak to Prime Minister-designate Trudeau. I think it was important for him to show that Mexico wanted be at forefront of the relationship.”
Visa Requirement
Alarie acknowledged that the Mexican government is keenly awaiting the lifting of the visa requirement for Mexican travelers to Canada imposed in 2009 due to a massive increase in dubious refugee claims.
“I cannot tell you exactly when the requirement will be lifted but the (Liberals) have been saying this for the last year and we expect it to be the case.”
Alarie did note, however, that thousands of Mexicans who already have tourist visas to visit the United States will be able to get quick approval to enter Canada when the new Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) program begins in April 2016.
“It’s very simple. Mexicans who have had a U.S. or Canadian visa in the last ten years can go online, fill in the form, pay five dollars and obtain five-year entry papers to Canada.”
Citizens of other countries that currently do not need a visa to enter Canada, with the exception of U.S. citizens, will also need to sign up to the ETA system next year, Alarie added. This includes holders of European Union (EU) passports.
Alarie added that while he understands why Mexicans are “upset” with the requirement, getting a visa to go to Canada has never been easier. “We are extremely efficient. It takes just six days and have 94 percent acceptance rate.”
Tourism & Students
When the visa requirement is eventually lifted, Alarie said he expects a rapid rise in the number of Mexicans visiting Canada. “There’s great potential for tourism. Even with the visa requirement, Mexican tourism is getting back to its former levels and grew at 11 percent last year.”
Laying out the welcome mat includes encouraging more Mexican students to make Canada their destination of choice for either English study or higher level education.
“New Foreign Minister Stephane Dion truly believes in the power of academia,” Alarie said. “He believes that by sending a student to another country, you are basically creating an ambassador. That person will come back to Mexico and always keep the links with Canada. It’s the greatest investment you can make and also a great export for Canada, representing about eight billion dollars in revenue.”
Energy & Mining
Alarie’s significant business experience in Mexico puts him in a privileged position as the country capitalizes on the slew of structural reforms passed by Peña Nieto in the first 18 moths of his mandate.
“The reforms in energy, as well as telecommunications, labor law and education, were essential, in my view, to allow Mexico to modernize,” Alarie said. “But you have to be patient. You won’t see the effects overnight, as some people may want. For example, it takes six to ten years before you see any benefit from deep-water oil exploration.”
Alarie admitted it was somewhat of a disappointment that there were only two bidders for the 14 shallow water oil and gas exploration blocks offered in the first phase of the country’s “Round 1” of oil concession licensing. Nonetheless, he applauded the Mexican government for “the transparency of the process” and has no doubts that the opening up of the energy sector will bear fruit as North American and European investors get involved and “take a long term approach.”
Oil, gas and electricity, as well as renewable energy, are key areas of the Mexican economy that interest Canadian investors, Alarie confirmed. He stressed that Canadian participation in the mining sector will maintain its momentum, despite some reservations back home over Mexico’s commitment and ability to maintain the rule of law in some regions of the country.
“Canada represents 70 percent of all foreign investment in Mexico’s mining sector,” Alarie explained. “We’re definitely the largest player here. There are least five billion dollars’ worth of projects in the pipeline and that’s probably the tip of the iceberg. But the ejido (land rights) issue comes up all the time and that makes it hard for Canadian investors.
“The numbers are big. If the mining explorers find something, they have to go back to their boards of directors and ask for a couple of billion dollars. If there’s a feeling there’s no rule of law, they may say, ‘guys let’s wait a bit.’ I sense that’s what’s happening a bit now.”
Alarie pointed out that Mexico can learn much from Canada’s experience with dealing with indigenous peoples in mineral rich regions and has even organized seminars and workshops on the subject. “We’ve been doing this for 25, 30 years. And we are still making mistakes and learning the hard way.”
Security
Alarie, who visited the Lake Chapala area this week to meet Canadian expats and participate in a Remembrance Day service, said that he takes the security situation in Mexico very seriously and reviews it on a monthly basis with an experienced team at the embassy.
“I think we are covering the risks at this point in time,” he said of the travel advisory for Mexico posted on the government website, travel.gc.ca. “With around two million Canadians a year visiting Mexico, there are very few incidents based on security issues.”
Alarie believes most local, state and federal politicians in Mexico are working diligently to improve security, especially for tourists. “This is a country that’s trying to attract a lot of foreign investment and they recognize that some zones of this country are still not policed properly.”
Saying that Canadians do not need to take any additional safety measures in Mexico other than those outlined in the government advisory and basic common sense that applies anywhere, Alarie encouraged his compatriots, whether tourists, snowbirds or permanent residents, to register online at travel.gc.ca or with the embassy or nearest consulate in Mexico.
“It’s a precaution so that in case of an emergency or violence breaking out, we know where to reach them,” Alarie said.
Policy Shifts
The ambassador recognized that the new Canadian government will “do things differently” in many areas of policy.
Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, a 44-year-old human rights lawyer, has “very clear ideas about the sustainability of the environment and how we should make the world a better place for our kids and grandkids,” he said. In her first week in office, McKenna promised that the Liberals will be looking to do much better than the Conservatives’ promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.
The stronger emphasis on human rights has already been noted in another department name change, Alarie noted. Citizenship and Immigration Canada has become Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Trudeau wasted no time in moving to honor his pledge to take in more Syrian refugees, this week tasking a committee with fast-tracking the resettlement of 25,000 refugees before the start of 2016.
The shift in foreign policy priorities, including uncertainty over Trudeau’s commitment to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP) signed by his predecessor, has raised questions whether Ottawa’s focus on international trade may diminish in some form. That’s not something that concerns Alarie unduly.
“Trade will always be very much in the mix,” he said. “This government recognizes the importance of international trade for creating jobs for the middle classes in Canada. We are basically a trading nation. Two jobs out of five in Canada depend on exports and other one in five on imports. If you combine the two, it means 60 percent all jobs are connected to international trade.”