EXPECT much interest in Mexico in the coming weeks. The President, Mrs McAleese undertakes a State visit at Easter, the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern is planning an official trip later and the Mexican Foreign Minister, Rosario Greene accompanied by the Under Secretary Carmen Moreno arrive in Dublin on Monday for bilateral meetings with their counterparts David Andrews and Liz O'Donnell.
Why? Well the foreign ministers' discussions are pretty routine, mostly UN affairs - including our bid for a place on the Security Council in 2000 - and trade. Mrs McAleese's visit is on foot of an invitation from President Ernesto Zedillo and is preceded by a two-day trip to Honduras where she will view hurricane devastation and meet Irish aid workers as well as our Army's construction unit. In Mexico she will spend Easter Saturday and Sunday in Oaxaca and the following three days in Mexico City. Ireland is highly thought of because of the San Patricio Battalion, which sided with the Mexicans in the 1840s' war against the US.
The Taoiseach's trip is tied in with his attendance at the EU summit on Europe/Latin America relations in Rio de Janeiro in June. As well as Mexico and Brazil, he goes to Argentina with a big trade mission.
Both visits to Mexico emphasise the Government's desire to improve links with a part of the world which we have largely ignored, to the extent that there is no Irish embassy between Washington and Buenos Aires. Moves are afoot to open an embassy in Mexico City and Rio - both Mexico and Brazil have full representation here. Indeed, three years ago the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs called for the replacement of our honorary consul in
Mexico, media magnate Romulo O'Farrill, by an ambassador because it believed his close links with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the world's longest ruling political party, made him "politically compromised".
The former, and now discredited, Mexican president, Carlos Salinas, only recently moved to Havana after four years in Dublin.
And will Albert Reynolds, a frequent visitor to Mexico and long-time friend of the fabulously wealthy Romulo O'Farrill turn up during either the President's or Taoiseach's visit?
Albert has cruised on O'Farrill's yacht, the Paraiso, off the coast of Mexico and in the Med, has stayed in his holiday home on the Pacific coast and he in turn has entertained the O'Farrills in Dublin, so no doubt if he is in the country he will be on the honorary consul's guest-list and may appear. Then again maybe not. Mrs McAleese beat Albert for the FF Presidential nomination and some of the blame, it will be recalled, was pointed at Bertie.