(Communicated by the Office of the President)

President  Shimon Peres will, on Tuesday, 26 November 2013, depart for a six-day state visit to Mexico at the head of a delegation of business leaders and managers representing 80 of Israel's leading companies in the fields of security, cyber, UAV's, technology, communication, water and energy. The delegation will include Rafael, Teva, Amdocs, Netafim, Tamar Group, Strauss, Babcom, Amiad and others.

President Peres will depart for the state visit after having received an invitation from Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, in order to strengthen and expand the strategic, diplomatic and economic ties between Israel and Mexico. President Peres will hold a series of meetings with the senior Mexican leaders as well as a meeting with Carlos Slim and other Mexican business leaders.

The diplomatic meetings will begin with a state welcome ceremony, including an honor guard, and a diplomatic working meeting with President Nieto during which the two will discuss ways to strengthen the strategic, economic and security relations between the countries, the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, and relations between Iran and Latin America. Following the meeting the two presidents will deliver joint statements to the press.

President Peres began his state visit with a diplomatic work meeting with the President of Mexico and under the auspices of the two presidents a series of economic and diplomatic cooperation agreements were signed between Israel and Mexico.

Peres: "I have come to Mexico with a delegation of 80 heads of Israeli companies. These entrepreneurs have spearheaded the most modern and cutting-edge technologies which Israel has developed. They have come to further strengthen the important relations with Mexico. To learn from you and share our experience."

President Peres will then deliver a diplomatic speech to the Mexican Congress before 128 members of Senate, and meet with senior government officials. In his speech President Peres will address the importance of strengthening the relations between Israel and Mexico as well as Israel and Latin America as a whole.

As part of the visit there will be the first Israel-Mexico Business Conference which will be opened by President Peres and President Nieto. The conference will take place in Mexico City, last two days and be attended 500 business leaders including the Israeli delegation, Mexican business leaders and the leading figures in Mexico's economy.  The conference will include meetings between Israeli and Mexican business leaders, working tours for the Israeli delegation to their Mexican counterparts. The business group led by Carlos Slim will present to the Israeli delegation the range of activities and possibilities for cooperation with Grupo Carso and America Movil.

During the second part of the visit (Friday), President Peres will visit Guadalajara and open the Israeli pavillion at the Guadalajara 2013 International Book Fair. This year Israel was chosen as the guest of honor at the book fair, which is one of the most important in the world and the largest in the Spanish speaking world with over 700,000 visitors each year. The Israeli stand will showcase Israeli cultural including literature, poetry, arts, academia and publishers including David Grossman and Etgar Keret, Ronny Somek and Agi Mishol, Ivri Lider and Achinoam Nini and Nobel Chemistry Prize laureate Professor Ada Yonath. The Israeli delegation will host over 200 cultural activities across the city and present the best of Israeli culture.