Abstract

RAMIREZ BONILLA, Juan José. Political-juridical Understandings and Misunderstandings: The Mexican Government and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Relac. Estud. hist. soc. [online]. 2012, vol.33, n.131, pp.135-180. ISSN 2448-7554.

During the 1994-2000, 2000-2006 and 2006-2012 administrations, the Mexican government granted a privileged place on its foreign affairs agenda to formalizing bilateral relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). However, their counterparts in the Association chose to file away the Mexican government's overtures because, while they did recognize Mexico as an important nation in North America, they deemed it to be of little relevance to the Pacific region. Also, the implementation of a foreign affairs policy founded upon the defense of democracy and human rights by the Vicente Fox administration was seen as risky by governments that recognize in the principles of the United Nations' Charter the guarantee of harmonic international co-existence. Beyond the circumstantial factors derived from changes in Mexican foreign policy practice, it is the transcendental conception of international law -shared by the governments of Mexico and the ASEAN- that could serve as the basis for constructing a bilateral relation oriented by, and towards, mutual understanding and cooperation.

Keywords : Mexico-ASEAN relations; international law and foreign affairs; mutual understanding; bilateral cooperation.

        · abstract in Spanish | French     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )