Mexico International Nation
INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY & FOREIGN POLICY, MEXICO
International Strategy and Foreign Policy Reserch Paper
International Strategy Equation
The International Strategy Equation consists of three categories to ultimately identify International Strategies for a particular nation state. These three categories are Foreign Objectives, Instruments of Foreign Policy and Foreign Policy Resources. The first step for identifying Mexico's international strategies is to observe the foreign policy objective(s). Mexican leaders and the Mexican public have identified several objectives to support their international strategies. The primary objectives are promoting Mexican products in other countries, protecting Mexican interests in other countries, attracting foreign investment to Mexico and fighting international Drug trafficking.
For the nation state of Mexico, the objectives can cover a wide array of issues, but the specific instruments of their foreign policy fuel the main contributing factors. These key instruments, along with the identified resources are the country alliances, economic relations/trade and developmental assistance.
Mexico has grown its relationships abroad with the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe. NAFTA was an immense step in the growth of their trade agreement alliances for Mexico. Mexico has also broadened its abilities with their involvement in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Mexico has little focus regarding alliances in its military sector, but primarily emphasizes its alliances on trade and overall economic development within Mexico. In addition to the alliances, Mexico is faced with further development of its negotiating abilities with the US versus the Latin Americas and Europe.
Mexico continually faces the aspect of increasing their economic growth and stability. In doing so, Mexican leaders are battling with the relationships of their big brother to the north and/or their friends to the south of Latin America. For decades Mexico has relied on the US to assist in its economic come back from the 1970's and 1980's. This is experienced through US trade agreements and Mexican exports to the US. Mexican leaders believe that breaking the sole reliance of the US and venturing into additional agreements in Latin America and Europe will strengthen the countries economic ability. By expanding their marketability, they hope to increase economic relations and improve the developmental assistance from these partnering countries. Ultimately Mexico focuses on the improvement in the standard of living for the people of Mexico by increasing jobs and comparable salaries that may be achieved in the US. With Mexico's unemployment rate at estimated four percent, the economy still can not produce enough new jobs for the Mexican public. It is estimated that roughly 400,000 Mexican travel to the US in search of employment each year. (*Country Watch)
Instruments of Foreign Policy
Since the end of the reign of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in 2000, Mexico's leadership has redirected its international focus in a slightly different direction. These key instruments of the Countries alliances, economic relations/trade and developmental assistance are interrelated to achieve a common result. Mexico has emphasized its international strategies on the increase trade flow with European markets, strengthen its NAFTA networks, and continue its efforts of non-intervention.
An alliance in the expansion of the NAFTA agreements and WTO is just part of the instruments of their foreign policy. In the past, Mexico has focused the majority of the foreign policy of international economic order on their neighbor to the North. The United States has been the most powerful player in world affairs, thus being the largest trading partner. The 1970's Mexico became one of the foremost producers and exports of oil and became the primary supplier to the US during the energy crisis. In an effort to minimize the reliance on the United States, Mexico became a partner of NAFTA to open its possibilities on free trade. The NAFTA agreement primarily focuses trade agreements with the US, Canada and Mexico. Mexico believes that extending this agreement to other nations will assist its return in foreign investments, jobs and potentially a stronger nation for Mexico. Former president Fox stated that this is a necessary step “regardless whether we like it or not, whether or not it suits our interests” (*Foreign Policy Assoc.) Former president Fox spent months traveling to Europe and Latin American to build stronger relations with those nations.
Finally, Mexico traditionally has sought to maintain its interests abroad and project its influence largely through moral persuasion and has championed the principles of nonintervention and self-determination. (*infoplease) Mexican leadership believes that staying out of other Nation state domestic issues has worked well in the past and is high influential of the Mexican public. Involvement in other nation state domestic issues could and would result in the demand of military support to those nations, thus jeopardizing Mexico's sovereignty.
The Three “International Strategies”
With the continued focus and practice of Mexico's non-intervention policy and maintaining its sovereignty, the Global, Regional and National Strategies are all enter-twined. Mexico's regional and national strategies are developed and initiated through their Global Strategies. Mexico's strategies flow from its efforts to develop economic stability and growth through trade agreements, regulating its borders in reducing drug trafficking and the ability to render assistance in the eradication of terrorism. The effort of trade agreement (NAFTA or OTC) affects the Americas, both north and south, and potential European nations. An increase in export and import abilities with other nations will increase its economical strength and reduce its reliance solely on the US.
Since September of 2001, Mexico has played and integral part with its fight on terrorism. The world as a whole sees its democracy being challenged and there is no nation exempt. Even though Mexico continues its sovereignty practices, regarding military efforts, Mexico has provided support to battle world terrorism. Mexico has strengthened its border access to fight terrorist activity and to minimize terrorist from using Mexico a conduit to the US. Mexico has also provided aid for victims of terrorist activities in the form of Blood banks, aid hot lines and shelter.
Finally, a more regional strategy, Mexico has continually supported a strong emphasis in battling drug trafficking. Mexico's own initiatives have been unprecedented with the fight on drug trafficking and illegal narcotics into the country. (*USDofS) The United States has been an enormous partner to assist Mexico on its efforts of interdiction, reduction and total eradication.
Foreign Policy impact
As a result of the profound government changes in past decades, Mexico's foreign policy is under current revision. Mexico faces dilemmas regarding their Foreign policy. These dilemmas are categorized into deepening or renegotiating NAFTA, the degree of foreign policy activism, strengthening relations with the north verses the south, and a nonintervention principle. As a result, Mexico's policy is torn between its principles and its interests. Not only is the uncertainty present in the political leadership, but the Mexican public is also indecisive. Mexican leaders must ask the question, will seeking a closer relationship with the US strengthen the economic partnership into a strategic alliance or will it result in the loss of its identity and sovereignty. Mexicans have an increasingly positive view of NAFTA and most believe that being the United States' neighbor is advantageous, but leaders believe that self-reliance could start with the involvement with its allies to the South. Mexican leaders feel that there is entirely too much economic dependence on the U.S. Mexico wishes to reach out to the European and Latin American markets to strengthen its economy. Mexican leaders believe that expanding trade efforts with Europe and Latin America will emphasize Mexico's radical transformation as being a more open and internationally oriented economy. (*Foreign Policy Assoc.) Even though this is an uncharacteristic aggressive measure, this philosophy is necessary to prevent Mexico from being left out of the global race. This effort will strengthen one of its unanswered Foreign Policies. This expansion into other markets won't limit the reliance on the US, but will increase the export factors of Mexico and potentially increase Mexican jobs and the standard of living for the Mexican public.
This expansion will also affect the non-intervention philosophy of Mexico. The continued focus of non-intervention is a value highly protected. Mexican leaders believe, based on the United States Military dominance, that deepening relations with the United States will open Mexico to break that decisive practice. In other words, Mexico will be expected to provide a greater level of military support when necessary.
References
Denise Youngblood Coleman. “Country Watch”. Mexico, 2006 Country Review.
15 Aug, 2006. http://www.contrywatch.com/cw_counrty.aspx?vcountry
Unknown Author. “Foreign Policy Association: Mexico”. Mexico, Recently In Focus. 10 Oct, 2006, http://www.fpa.org/newsletter_info2498/newsletter
Unknown Author. “infoplease”. Mexico. 28 Jan, 2008
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107779.html
Unknown Author. “US Department of State”. Background Note: Mexico. 30 Jan, 2008
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35749.htm
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