CALDERON, ON FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO EUROPE, STAYS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 000483 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR MX SUBJECT: CALDERON, ON FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO EUROPE, STAYS ON MESSAGE Classified By: AMBASSADOR ANTONIO O. GARZA JR. FOR REASONS 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. This week, President Felipe Calderon wrapped up a six day official visit to Europe, his first since taking office. The visit took him to Berlin, Madrid and London and the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Calderon's team successfully used the tour to mount a major international public relations campaign, emphasizing Mexico's status as an attractive destination for investment. In public statements and private meetings across Europe, Calderon emphasized his administration's commitment to the rule of law, security, economic competitiveness, expanded health care and environmental stewardship. Calderon's political message was only distracted by a political jab by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez in response to Calderon's comments in Davos, which evolved into a minor dispute through the press. On whole, however, media coverage in both Europe and Mexico was positive. Calderon further fashioned an image at home as a resolute leader and promoter of Mexico's stature in the international arena. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) President Felipe Calderon embarked on his first official state visit to Europe on January 25 with an initial stop in Berlin, where he met Chancellor Angela Merkel, followed by speaking engagements and meetings at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, a visit with Prime Minister Tony Blair in London, and concluded on January 30 with a visit with Spanish President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. ¶3. (SBU) At each stop, Calderon relentlessly made the sales pitch that Mexico is an attractive destination for foreign investment. Calderon cited the tenets of his administration's platform as rule of law, security, economic competitiveness, health care and the environment. He touted his administration's crackdown on organized crime immediately upon taking office - particularly the operations by military and federal police in Michoacan, Tijuana and Guerrero - with the assurance to investors that Mexico can guarantee security and stability. He emphasized Mexico's macroeconomic stability by pointing to its fiscal and economic policies, often at the expense of some Latin American neighbors. While avoiding an overly ideological tone, Calderon repeatedly emphasized his administration's commitment to open markets, democracy, and rule of law. ¶4. (C) The administration's media campaign to clearly articulate Mexico's virtues as an investment destination began even before the European visit, with interviews published in such papers as The Financial Times (UK) and El Pais (Spain). It continued with robust outreach at each stop along the way. At Davos, WEF president Klaus Schwab presented Calderon with a key opportunity to promote Mexico as a regional leader by having him host the Regional Economic Forum's session on Latin America. Calderon continually cited Mexico's growth potential in talks with the chiefs of companies like Pepsico, Bombardier, and Microsoft. He often mentioned a Goldman Sachs report that said Mexico could be the world's fifth largest economy in 2040. Chancellor Merkel officially invited Mexico to join the G8 summit this year as an observer. In London, Prime Minister Blair and Calderon issued a joint statement supporting an "ambitious, pro-development outcome" in the next round of World Trade Organization talks. The British Political Counselor here told poloff that Calderon and Blair displayed stong personal chemistry in their meeting, with the British impressed by Calderon's command of the issues and in particular his interest in global warming. President Zapatero reaffirmed Spain's close ties with Mexico as its largest European investor, professing his desire for a more expansive relationship. Maintaining "open economies" in Latin America was a running theme throughout the talks across Europe. ¶5. (C) In selling Mexico as the region's leading destination for foreign investment, Calderon sought to distinguish his policies from those of Venezuela, Bolivia and Argentina. Calderon defined Mexico as a country embracing the future and warned against archaic, statist policies that have failed in the past. Calderon's comments provoked a sharp, and long-winded, rebuke from Venezuela's Hugo Chavez that put in the public spotlight the ideological differences between the two presidents. In a press conference following their meeting, Blair came to the aid of Calderon by emphasizing that the European Union can more easily build a relationship based on "common values and on strong open economies." Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, a member of the opposition party PRD, also defended Calderon against Chavez's remarks, disapproving of a foreign president "labeling Mexican rulers." Ebrard did, however, suggest that Calderon exercise MEXICO 00000483 002 OF 002 more caution in his warnings against nationalizing industries. Others in the opposition PRD and PRI were more critical of Calderon. The Director General for Human Rights at the Secretariat for Foreign Relations noted to the Political Counselor some concern about the small but regular protests, either over human rights or the disputed 2006 election, that punctuated Calderon's trip through Europe. ¶6. (SBU) The Mexican media covered the European trip in detail and provided generally positive reporting among most outlets. Calderon was often cast as a strong leader promoting Mexico's stature abroad. Inevitably, more attention was granted to his qualifying statements on policies, particularly that markets cannot solve all problems in Latin America and his environmental concerns like climate security. Mexican media also covered issues that had bearing on domestic political issues; Calderon, for instance, distanced himself from the president of his own party who had criticized Zapatero's handling of terrorism, namely the Basque separatist group ETA. ¶7. (SBU) Calderon also painted Mexico in broad and colorful strokes by citing its advances in the arts and sciences, citing Nobel Prize-winning chemist Mario Molina as an example of its scientific prowess and reflecting on the high profile of Mexican filmmakers in the run-up to the Oscars this year. Calderon regularly cited the filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu as another face of Mexico. ¶8. (SBU) COMMENT. In terms of positive optics, Calderon's first European excursion was a clear success. He was well received by his hosts in Germany, Spain and the UK, played a high profile role in Davos, and earned widespread and generally positive media attention. He also succeeded in offering the Mexican model as a clear alternative to the leftward turn taken by many Latin American governments recently. Upon returning to Mexico, Calderon will face the full array of security and economic challenges that he must reconcile with the vision of Mexico he so ably projected while abroad. End comment. Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity GARZA