Israeli President Shimon Peres. Photo: WikiCommons.

Israeli President Shimon Peres will lead a delegation of 80 companies to Mexico on an official state visit, including an audience with the country’s president, Enrique Pena Nieto, and its richest man, telecoms billionaire Carlos Slim.

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 and 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 his companies, Grupo Carso and America Movil.

The business delegation includes 80 of Israel’s leading companies in the fields of security, cyber, UAV’s, technology, communication, water and energy, with representatives from Rafael, Teva, Amdocs, Netafim, Tamar Group, Strauss, Babcom, and Amiad, among others.

The trip begins next Tuesday and culminates with cutting the ribbon on Guadalajara International Book Fair 2013. Israel was chosen as guest of honor at the event, which is the Spanish-speaking world’s largest book fair, and the world’s second largest behind only Frankfurt’s annual confab. The Israeli stand will include 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.

In a statement, the President’s office said his diplomatic meetings will begin with a state welcome ceremony, including an honor guard and a diplomatic work meeting with President Nieto. Areas of concern include ways to strengthen the strategic, economic and security relations between Israel and Mexico, the peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and relations between Iran and Latin America. Peres will deliver a diplomatic speech to the Mexican parliament and then meet with the Speaker of the Parliament and with other senior government officials.

On Tuesday, the Jewish Community in Mexico City will host a dinner for the Israeli delegation to mark the beginning of the visit and Peres will meet with them again on Thursday.