Above: the Princess Hotel in Belompan, Belize

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The governments of Belize and Mexico met for a two-day summit in Belmopan this week.

The seventh meeting of the Belize-Mexico Bi-National Commission, which was held at the Prince Hotel in Free Zone, included discussions on tourism, trade, immigration and the new northern border crossing between the two countries, among other issues.

In a statement, Belize and Mexico said a “great deal of progress” since their previous bi-national commission in Chetumal, Quintana Roo in 2010.

The two sides “renewed their commitment to work together to continue engaging in efforts that will contribute to achieving social and economic development for Belizeans and Mexicans alike,” Belize’s government said in the statement.

Belize’s delegation was led by Alexis Rosado, chief executive officer in Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Leading Mexico’s delegation was Norma Pensado, Under-Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean in Mexico’s Secretariat of Foreign Affairs.

Mexico has been working to increase its cooperation with the Caribbean.

At the CARICOM-Mexico Summit in Barbados in May, Mexican President Felipe Calderon said the Caribbean region was Mexico’s “third border.”

Mexico is a “proudly Caribbean country,” he said at the time.