RIYADH: The ambassador of Mexico to 抖阴短视频, Anibal Gomez Toledo, hosted a vibrant national day celebration in Riyadh to commemorate Mexico鈥檚 independence day on Sunday.
The festive occasion brought together the Mexican community in Riyadh and friends of the embassy to highlight the strong ties between Mexico and 抖阴短视频.
The ambassador emphasized the significance of September as a month of celebration for both nations.
The ambassador said that the national day celebration hosted in 抖阴短视频 held meaning for both Mexico and 抖阴短视频.
鈥淢exico and 抖阴短视频 started bilateral relations back on September 12, 1952, so within the same month 抖阴短视频 celebrates its national day on September 23,鈥 he told Arab News.
鈥淪o September is a month of celebration for both Mexicans and 抖阴短视频.鈥
The Mexico national day festivities took place in the Diplomatic Quarters Cultural Palace and welcomed ambassadors, Mexicans living in 抖阴短视频, Saudi authorities and friends of the embassy in an evening of celebration and music.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very significant day. It is the most important day in our history,鈥 Toledo said.
鈥淲e are celebrating the 214th anniversary of the beginning of our independence from Spain.
鈥淎t that time, a group of leaders headed this movement and they started the call on the night of September 15, so exactly at midnight on the 16th is when the movement started, and that is why we enact this special event that we are having today,鈥 he said.
Guests followed the ambassador鈥檚 lead in waving flags and chanting 鈥淰iva la Mexico,鈥 a chant that embodies the nation鈥檚 continued prosperity and freedom.
Toledo also highlighted a significant moment during the celebrations called 鈥淓l Grito,鈥 a tribute to the Mexican people鈥檚 battle cry when they rose up against Spanish rule on Sept. 16, 1810.
鈥淕rito is the call of our founders when they started the revolution of independence. They called and started to gather, and we do something similar tonight,鈥 he said.
鈥淪audis are very generous and very welcoming and very warm. We feel this warmth from Saudi people toward us Mexicans and Mexico.
鈥淚 have been here for almost five years, and I have this feeling of emotion when I am with a Saudi. We are not only friends but brothers ... I don鈥檛 know if we share the same DNA or something like that,鈥 he said jokingly.
鈥淲e get along very easily; you can see how Saudis celebrate our day and how Mexicans celebrate Saudi national day.鈥
The ambassador said that the two countries have been 鈥渨orking closely in the past five, six years.鈥
He added: 鈥淲e activated our political dialogue, and now our bilateral dialogue is strong and solid. We have exchanged a number of high-level visits from both sides.鈥
When asked where he would like to see cooperation grow, the ambassador said that trade and tourism were areas of focus.
鈥淢exico and 抖阴短视频 are G20 countries, two of the 20 largest economies in the world. I think we have great potential to continue together.
鈥淥ur bilateral trade surpassed $1 billion; five to six years ago, it was less than $300 million. We are seeing bilateral trade growing, and what I would like to have is to double or triple this figure.鈥
On tourism and cultural exchange, the envoy said that he 鈥渨ould also like to see more Mexicans in 抖阴短视频 and more Saudis in Mexico.鈥
Toledo said that in May, the embassy signed an MoU between two higher education institutions in Mexico and 抖阴短视频, King Fahad Petroleum and Minerals and the Instituto Politecnico Nacional in Mexico offering scholarships for Mexicans to study their graduate degrees in 抖阴短视频.