FRANCE: Mexico says diplomatic spat with France will not affect transition of G20 Presidency

Record ID: 304144

  • Title: FRANCE: Mexico says diplomatic spat with France will not affect transition of G20 Presidency
  • Date: 20th February 2011
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (FEBRUARY 19, 2011) (REUTERS) INTERIOR OF MEXICAN EMBASSY JOURNALIST WRITING JOURNALIST TAKING NOTES CAMERAMEN (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MEXICAN FINANCE MINISTER, ERNESTO CORDERO, SAYING: "I would say that the matter of Florence Cassez has to remain as it is, a judicial case, it should not pollute the diplomatic, economic, cultural and social agenda. I don't see any transition problem between the French and the Mexican presidencies of the G20." JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MEXICAN FINANCE MINISTER ERNESTO, CORDERO ARROYO, SAYING: "We never spoke about the case of Florence Cassez during the G20 talks and during my bilateral meetings with Christine Lagarde, I insisted that we limited our discussion to the G20." JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTIONS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MEXICAN FINANCE MINISTER, ERNESTO CORDERO ARROYO, SAYING: "It is clear that the Mexican delegation always insisted that the discussions remain on the G20 and no other topic." MEXICAN DELEGATE CORDERO ARROYO LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 7th March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France, France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Finance
  • Reuters ID: LVA1E03AKKICO05QKWT5A2NF5LEQ
  • Story Text: Mexican Finance Minister Ernesto Cordero Arroyo said on Friday (February 19) in Paris that the diplomatic row with France over the Florence Cassez case will not affect a smooth handover of the G20 Presidency between the two countries.
    "I would say that the matter of Florence Cassez has to remain as it is, a judicial case, it should not pollute diplomatic, economic, cultural and social agenda. I don't see any transition problem between the French and the Mexican presidencies of the G20," he said.
    The Ambassador also said Mexico asked for the Cassez case not to be discussed at the G20 Finance ministers meet.
    "We never spoke about the case of Florence Cassez during the G20 talks and during my bilateral meetings with Christine Lagarde, I insisted that we limited our discussion to the G20," Cordero Arroyo said.
    "It is clear that the Mexican delegation always insisted that the discussions remain on the G20 and no other topic," he added.
    The G20 summit saw earlier on Saturday the first meeting of a working group chaired by Germany and Brazil to discuss international capital flows, and a group chaired by France and Mexico has examined reserves and liquidity in the international system.
    When presenting the French goals for their G20 presidency, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said they would focus on reducing volatility in currency and commodity markets and improving economic governance. But the setting up of a working group on the reform of the international monetary system chaired by Germany and Mexico appears to be the the real novelty of this presidency.
    Recently asked about the appreciation of the peso currency, Mexican Finance Minister Ernesto Cordero said he was paying a lot of attention to it but he did not think controls on capital inflows would be appropriate for his country.
    Cordero also said that data on Monday showed that Mexico's inflation rate was cooling and that this was also helping to stabilise the peso.
    He also said that he was not in favour of the French proposal for a financial transactions tax. According to Cordero, it seemed inadequate for a country which is trying to increase financial penetration
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