Carstens Says Too Early to Comment on Japan's Support

From Reuters:

Mexican Central Bank Governor Agustin Carstens, a contender to head the International Monetary Fund, said on Friday that it would be premature for him to comment on whether he earned Japan's support for his bid to become head of the fund.

Carstens, speaking to reporters after meeting Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa, said he explained his views on the fund and his ideas on Japan's role.

"The Japanese finance minister listened very carefully to my position," Carstens told reporters. "It is still premature, but I had a good discussion with him."

As we all know, Carstens is running against French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde to replace IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn. It seems as though Carstens, although cautious in his statements, is optimistic about Japan's support for his bid to the IMF presidency.

What do you know about financial relations between Japan and Mexico? Is their good reason to believe that Japan will support Mexico's Chief instead of Lagarde?

Mexico’s Carstens courting U.S. on IMF job

From The Washington Post:

The Mexican banker running to head the International Monetary Fund warned Monday that the agency could face a conflict of interest if his chief rival, a European, was appointed to the top job in the midst of the financial crisis roiling Europe.

Agustin Carstens, Mexican central bank chief, in Washington yesterday to lobby for the IMF post, said the International Monetary Fund needs to be seen as guarding the interests of all its members, not just those of the Europeans.

The fund can’t be perceived as working for Europeans,” he said. “I am sure she [Lagarde] will say she is working for the fund. But that question will be there.”

Read more on the fight for the IMF position.

Carlos Slim Sees Major Growth in Latin America

Carlos Slim, the Mexican telecommunications tycoon and the world’s richest man, intends to increase investment in Latin America to benefit from cheaper technology and the region’s increasing purchasing power before looking to break into other markets.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Slim, who is the controlling shareholder of América Móvil, the region’s biggest telecoms company, said: “The fertile ground is Latin America . . . within 10 or 15 years, it is going to break the barrier of underdevelopment and it is going to form a large middle-class so we have to invest and invest heavily.”

Mexico Investment Summit 2012

If you're interested in learning more about investing in Mexico, you can't miss The Mexico Investment Summit this January 2012 in Mexico City. The three day conference will be focusing on these areas of growth in the Mexican economy:

Pension investment
Private equity & venture captial
Healthcare
Technology
Infrastructure
Tourism
Real estate
Agriculture
Oil, gas & mining

Mexico is a regional leader and business influencer in Latin America and there's already great insight into why investing in Mexico is such a great opportunity:

"The Mexico Investment Summit focuses on a country that many consider to be the world's best combination of logistically based geography and phenomenal natural resources, a discussion important not only for its positive internal impacts, but for it's strategic effects on North American and world competitiveness."

Jeffrey M. Jones, Venture Partner, Alta Growth Capital, President, JMax Asociados SC

Find out more for yourself on the official Mexico Investment Summit 2012 website.

In Four Years, Mexico Has Received $90 Billion USD in FDI

The State News Service reported in early 2011 that during the 29th Plenary Meeting of the Mexico-Japan Business Committee, President Felipe Calderon, accompanied by Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and Francisco Javier Mayorga Castaneda, Secretary of Agriculture, said: "During my four years as president, our country has received nearly 90 billion dollars in foreign direct investment. And this has happened precisely because Mexico has or represents a great opportunity of success for firms investing in our country. Indeed, this growth of investment has also enabled us to grow and create jobs."

President Calderon also stated that, "The Mexican economy offers wonderful conditions for investment," explaining that, "This is due to Mexico's enormous advantages, such as, for example, its strategic geographical position, particularly in a global economy such as the one we have today."

The point is, he said, "That we are working to make government an effective ally of investors."