KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Relations between Jamaica and Mexico will be further strengthened at the 8th Meeting of the Mexico-Jamaica Binational Commission in Mexico City in May 2016.

Mexico’s Ambassador to Jamaica, Martha Cecilia Jaber, told JIS News that a comprehensive cooperation programme for 2016-2017 will be signed at the meeting.

“There are different projects that will be considered in the two-year programme,” she said.

She informed that sport is one of the areas under consideration. “We would be very happy to have any kind of agreement in the field of sport. For Mexico, it would be a very positive development to have an agreement with Jamaica, to share best experiences. We all know that sport in Jamaica is at an excellent level and we would like to have an exchange in that area,” she noted.

Ambassador Jaber further disclosed that the programme will include partnerships between the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Mona campus focusing on research and development, the social sciences, bio technology and gender studies.

Additionally, she informed that plans are underway to start a Spanish Language training programme in Jamaica.

“We are working at different levels to see how we can bring to Jamaica, a regular and standard programme for Spanish training. We will be working with UNAM because they have a lot of experience, they have officers in different countries where they have Spanish learning programmes,” Ambassador Jaber pointed out.

Modalities of the training programme are expected to be finalised at the session in May.

This year, Jamaica and Mexico commemorated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in March 1965.

Ambassador Jabber said the relationship between the countries has been “very friendly and very fruitful,” over the decades.

“There are different Mexican companies that are already working in Jamaica and we are trying to work together with the Jamaican Government to increase the presence of Mexican companies in Jamaica,” she informed.

The Ambassador cited the US$1.8 million Riverton Road rehabilitation project being undertaken through grant funding from the Mexican Government to improve access to the Riverton City landfill.

The project involves the building of a two-kilometre concrete roadway to improve entrance to and exit from the disposal site, and enable the necessary agencies to respond more quickly to emergencies.