EU Council president sees Mexico as a key ally for UN reform

European Council President Antonio Costa acknowledged Mexico as a key strategic ally for reforming the United Nations while calling for building a robust multilateral world order.

His remarks came during a speech Thursday at the Mexican Senate, a day before Mexico and the European Union are set to sign modernized trade and cooperation agreements aimed at strengthening relations between the sides.

“The European Union needs Mexico. The world needs Mexico,” he said.

Costa warned about growing risks to global stability, citing the climate crisis, armed conflicts and technological changes as factors contributing to the erosion of the rules-based multilateral order that emerged after the Second World War, noting “it is no surprise that many are predicting a return to the law of the jungle.”

His comments came as the US under President Donald Trump continues to approach geopolitical and economic relationships transactionally, using coercive measures like tariffs and military posturing to extract concessions from both adversaries and allies, while the EU seeks to bring balance among global powers.

“That of course is the European Union’s unequivocal will and the strategy we are implementing, promoting agreements and deepening our alliances with all of our partners -- for example with India, with Australia, with Mercosur, with Indonesia, with Chile, with South Africa, with Thailand, and of course with Mexico,” Costa said.

Trump has established international bodies to operate in parallel to, and potentially rival, the UN that are under his direct control such as the Board of Peace, where he serves as chairman and will remain in that role regardless of his duties as president, and the Shield of the Americas, a multinational military and political security bloc which includes a large portion of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Costa said the EU “advocates for international law to be respected everywhere in the world, whether in Ukraine, the Middle East or Latin America. We therefore call for a concerted effort to strengthen international law and multilateral institutions.”

With this in mind, he said, “Europe and Mexico can be important allies in promoting a reform of the United Nations. A reform that preserves the fundamental principles of the international order while better reflecting the realities of the 21st century.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and EU leaders will hold the 8th EU-Mexico Summit in Mexico City on Friday, during which they will sign two new agreements aimed at strengthening relations between the EU and Mexico: the EU-Mexico Political, Economic and Cooperation Strategic Partnership Agreement, also known as the Modernized Global Agreement, and an interim trade agreement.

Costa said the Modernized Global Agreement “is not just an update of our trade rules. It is a new bridge between Europe and Mexico, broader, more solid and better prepared for the challenges of the 21st century.”

“It is a commitment to fair trade, shared prosperity, and sustainability. An agreement which will deepen our political dialogue and our cooperation in key areas: from security, migration, climate and the environment, to the green and digital transition, innovation and human rights.”