The Canada-Mexico relationship is one built upon rich cultural and social connections.

The ties between Canadians and Mexicans continue to grow: nearly two million Canadians visit Mexico each year, and we look forward to more Mexican visitors, students, and artists coming to Canada in the months and years to come.

During their bilateral meeting, Prime Minister Trudeau and President Peña Nieto made a strong commitment to further strengthen the cultural ties that form such an important part of the Canadian-Mexican relationship.

Featuring Mexican artwork at the National Gallery of Canada

Canadian and Mexican artists and performers have become increasingly prominent on the cultural scene of both countries, and visits and exchanges are more frequent. 

To mark the occasion of this State Visit, the National Gallery of Canada – in collaboration with the Museo de Arte Moderno – will feature an exhibition of artwork by Mexican modernist Rufino Tamayo. The exhibition will run from June 24 to October 2, 2016.

Increased cooperation for Indigenous peoples

Increasing collaboration on Indigenous affairs and deepening cultural connections more broadly will further raise awareness of the cultural diversity of the peoples of North America while promoting social inclusion, well-being, and equality.

Recognizing this, Canada and Mexico have agreed to work together to advance the quality of life of Indigenous peoples through more frequent meetings, exchanges of knowledge and experience, and other forms of collaboration – including a memorandum of understanding.

The memorandum of understanding will focus on common priority themes, including socio-economic development, consultation, education, language and culture and prevention of violence against women and girls. It is focused on practical activities such as direct exchanges between indigenous communities and experts as well as between academic institutions.

It builds on an original letter of Intent signed in 2005 between Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and the Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas.

Sharing of health-related information

Health and wellness also play a key role in our people-to-people connections. With that in mind, Canada and Mexico finalized a memorandum of understanding that will foster greater collaboration and information sharing on regulatory issues with the aim of protecting the health of their respective populations.

In addition to the memorandum of understanding, Health Canada and the Mexican health authority Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS) are establishing a framework for cooperation and exchange of information in the field of therapeutic products, including pharmaceuticals, biological products, medical devices, natural health products, cosmetics, controlled substances as well as in the field of environmental health. This framework will help strengthen the communication between the regulatory authorities with the aim to assist in protecting and enhancing public health and the safety of their respective populations.