Hugely unpopular at home, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto found some love north of the border this week as he received the Statesman of the Year award presented by the Foreign Policy Association (FPA), an organization that calls itself “the principal public forum in New York City for foreign policy addresses.”
The honor was motivated by the structural reforms initiated by Peña Nieto at the start of his presidency that the FPA said, “strengthened relations between Mexico and the United States.”
The reforms in the energy, education and labor sectors were described by FPA Executive Director John Hess as a foundation for a “fairer and more prosperous society.”
Peña Nieto took the opportunity to stress how strong “institutional ties” between the United States and Mexico mean the bilateral relationship will thrive regardless of the result of the November presidential election.
Earlier, during an address at United Nations headquarters, Peña Nieto touched on the theme of migration and the polemic issue of a border wall, noting that “no barriers that can stop either the movement of people or the fusion of cultures … for every obstacle there has always been a way forward. Movement is an essential part of human existence.”
Peña Nieto highlighted his government’s focus on social inclusion, which he said is aimed at increasing equality and reducing poverty. He has been criticized for advocating gay marriage.
The president also noted that Mexico had adopted the Paris Agreement on climate change, and hopes to produce 25 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2018 and 60 percent by 2040.