Mexico: Macron calls for an Anti-Drug fight that respects national sovereignty

Saturday 08 November 2025 - 08:30

By: Sahili Aya

Mexico: Macron calls for an Anti-Drug fight that respects national sovereignty

During his official visit to Mexico City following his participation in the COP30 summit in Brazil, French President Emmanuel Macron urged on Friday for a joint international fight against drug trafficking that “respects the sovereignty of nations” — a message perceived as an implicit rebuke of Donald Trump’s recent military strikes in the Caribbean.

Standing beside Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at the National Palace, Macron emphasized that “France is deeply attached to the sovereignty of every state,” and that such global challenges “must be addressed through cooperation among sovereign nations and respect for each other’s independence.”

However, the main focus of the visit was economic. Macron called for “greater visibility for investors on both sides,” during a meeting that gathered business leaders from Safran, Alstom, Blablacar, and Novair. France is currently the 11th-largest foreign investor in Mexico, while Mexico ranks as the top Latin American investor in France. The French president said he wished to “give a new boost” to these relations.

The visit also revived the delicate issue of pre-Columbian artifacts held in French institutions. President Sheinbaum reiterated that these codices “represent the living memory of Mexico — the written voice of our ancestors and the deep root of our identity.”

In response, Macron announced that the Codex Azcatitlan, preserved in France’s National Library, will be loaned to Mexico next year for a cross-cultural exhibition. He called the decision “a gesture of deep respect,” intended to “ease tensions” surrounding heritage discussions.

A Franco-Mexican working group will continue talks on cultural restitution, including the Codex Borbonicus, a 14-meter-long manuscript housed in the French National Assembly. This visit — the first by a French president since François Hollande in 2014 — marks Macron’s intent to revitalize bilateral cooperation in political, economic, and cultural spheres.