| Danial Norjidi |
THERE is potential for cooperation between Brunei Darussalam and Mexico in tourism, Halal food and oil industry, while each country can also act as a gateway for the other into their respective regions.
These were among the points shared by Nathan Wolf Lustbader, the Ambassador of Mexico to Singapore and non-resident Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam during an interview after a recent meeting with the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Brunei Darussalam (NCCIBD).
“I think there are a lot of potential areas to collaborate together, mainly now after both countries signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) last week in Santiago, Chile,” he said.
“One of them, obviously, is the tourism sector. Mexico has good expertise so we can cooperate with Brunei to develop the tourism sector here and share our expertise on that,” he said.
“Also I think the oil industry is one area where both countries can work together and find common projects of mutual benefit.” Also the agrifood sector with Halal food is something I think we can work on,” he continued, sharing that Mexico is a large producer of agrifood and that Halal certification is something they are looking at.
Sharing his impression of Brunei so far, he said, “There is a lot of potential. You have a beautiful country, beautiful landscapes and very rich culture that I think has the potential to be shared with more people from all over the world.”
On the opportunities CPTPP could bring for Brunei and Mexico, he said, “We have to start looking about the possibilities of what can be the trade,” he said, adding that the countries could each act as gateways.
The ambassador said that entrepreneurs from Mexico could perhaps look at Brunei as a gateway to the region.
“As I mentioned, maybe how we can distribute Halal food through Brunei to the region.
“The Brunei entrepreneurs through Mexico, can also enter the web of free trade agreements that we have with Latin America, with Europe and with the US,” he added.