Keen on developing friendships built by forerunners

Mexican ambassador tells Hakumon Herald

先人たちの築いた友好関係をさらに前進させたい

 

―アルマーダ駐日メキシコ大使に聞く―

Ambassador Carlos Almada lectures at the Chuo Tama campus on December 1. Image from Chuo University Public Relations Office
Ambassador Carlos Almada lectures at the Chuo Tama campus on December 1. Image from Chuo University Public Relations Office

Mexican Ambassador Carlos Almada talked about is country’s relationships with Japan in an interview with Hakumon Herald following his lecture at Chuo University on December 1.

 カルロス・アルマーダ駐日メキシコ大使は、12月1日の講演直後、白門ヘラルドのインタビューに応じ、両国関係などについて次のように語った。

 

  -How have you come to assume your present post?

 大使はどのような経緯で現在の職に就かれたのでしょうか。

 

  Ambassador: I’ve been engaged in public services for more than 40 years. In the early stage of my career, I hadn’t expected to be a diplomat. My bachelor degree was in public administration. After getting my Ph.D., I was first hired as a public servant by a municipal government and then by a state government and the federal government. I happened to be appointed ambassador to Portugal in 1997 and as ambassador to Japan this time.

 大使 私は40年以上行政に携わってきました。初めから外交官を目指していたわけではありません。学部生当時の専攻は行政学でした。博士号を習得したあと、地方都市の公務員となり、州政府、連邦政府で職務を遂行してきました。そうした流れの中で、ある時期は駐ポルトガル大使、そして今回は駐日本国大使に任命されました。

 

  -Have you found your college study practically useful in public administration?

大学で学んだことは行政の現場で役に立ちましたか。

 

  Ambassador: Learning systematic knowledge is useful not only in public administration but elsewhere as well. You can’t always attain practical skills just by reading textbooks. You should be keen to choose occupation and have a clear sense of purpose and intellectual curiosity. You should also cultivate your sensibility by trying to get familiar with arts such as literature and music. It is important for you to make consistent efforts with the aim of bringing about a better society.

 

 大使 体系的な知識を学ぶことは、行政に限らず、どの分野にも応用できる素養ですね。単に参考書を読破すれば実務能力がつくわけではありません。職業を選択する真摯な姿勢、明確な目的意識と知的好奇心を持ち、文学や音楽などの芸術にも普段から親しみ、豊かな感性を培うことが大切です。より良い社会の実現をめざし、不断の努力をなすことが大切です。


Japan is special country

 

日本は特別な国

Ambassador Carlos Almada speaks on the history of Mexico-Japan relations during his lecture. Image from Chuo University Public Relations Office 
Ambassador Carlos Almada speaks on the history of Mexico-Japan relations during his lecture. Image from Chuo University Public Relations Office 

-What particularly do you bear in mind as a diplomat?

外交官として特に心掛けていることはありますか。

 

Ambassador: It doesn’t make much difference whether you work as a public servant in a small town or a foreign country. You learn the local culture from textual information such as books and communications with locals. That’s it. I see it as particularly important for me to respect the culture of a country where I am posted while keeping myself well-informed on my birthplace and my own country. For that matter, we should learn the history and culture of our own country and comprehend its ethics and sense of value. If you do that, you will wish to understand the culture and ideas of other cities and countries. I think we become more tolerant by knowing ourselves and our own country.

 

大使 公務員として勤務する場所が小さな町でも外国でも、職務の本質にはさしたる違いがありません。その土地の文化を書籍などの文字情報と多数の人々との対話、そこから学ぶ。それに尽きます。特に重要なのは任地の文化を尊重する姿勢を維持すること、故郷や自国の文化に精通すること、です。自分が生まれ育った地方や国の歴史と文化、倫理観や価値観を学び、理解する。それを基礎にすれば、他の都市や国の文化、思想を理解したいと思うようになります。寛容な姿勢は、自分自身そして自分の国を知ることから生まれると思います。

Chuo University Prof. Shuichiro Megata (left), who was awarded the Order of the Aztec Eagle by the Mexican government, poses for a photo with Ambassador Carlos Almada (right) at the Mexican Embassy in Tokyo.
Chuo University Prof. Shuichiro Megata (left), who was awarded the Order of the Aztec Eagle by the Mexican government, poses for a photo with Ambassador Carlos Almada (right) at the Mexican Embassy in Tokyo.

-What did you do prior to assuming the office of ambassador to Japan?

 日本に赴任するに当たってどのようなことをされましたか。

 

Ambassador: Before coming to Japan, I had met and talked with as many predecessors (former ambassadors to Japan) as possible to deepen my understanding of Japanese social practices. I take ambassadorship as a crucial duty to be performed in real earnest. Japan is one of special countries for me. I’ve long been attracted to Japanese history, culture and society. Taking my assignment as a very good chance, I make it a rule to read major Japanese literary works.

大使 より深く日本の社会慣行を理解するために、東京への赴任に先立って、私の前任者たち(歴代の駐日メキシコ大使たち)には、可能な限り全員のところへ面談に出かけました。大使とは、それだけ真剣に取り組むべき重要な職務だと認識しています。日本は私にとって特別な国のひとつです。以前から日本の歴史、文化、社会に興味があったので、今回を絶好の機会ととらえ、日本文学の主要作品を読むことも実践しています。

 

  -Who is your favorite author?

 好きな日本人作家はいますか。

 

  Ambassador: My general impression is that Japanese literature is characterized by subtle sensitivity. I’m fascinated with contemporary works like Junichiro Tanizaki and Yasunari Kawabata.

 大使 全般にわたり、繊細な感受性が表現されている印象を受けています。谷崎潤一郎や川端康成などの近代文学も素晴らしいと思います。

 

  -What would you like to do as ambassador to Japan?

 駐日大使として成し遂げたいことは何ですか。

 

  Ambassador: I have a strong sense of mission to develop the Mexico-Japan friendship backed by a history longer than 400 years that has been built by our forerunners. I want to expand and strengthen our overall relations by promoting cultural and educational exchanges, scientific and technological cooperation and economic collaboration to hand down that legacy to future generations. I’m particularly keen to assist in the construction of value chain which Japanese companies in Mexico have been addressing. The number of Japanese companies active in Mexico has reached the landmark 1,000 this year. Importantly many Mexican workers learn advanced technical skills and sophisticated management approaches from those Japanese firms. If that continues, it will help improve the quality of labor and enhance the productivity. The Japanese companies for their part can expand their business in other Latin American countries. I want to see this win-win relationship develop further.

 

 大使 先人たちが築いてきた400年以上の歴史を背景に持つ素晴らしい友好関係をさらに前進させることが私の使命だと強く認識しています。文化や教育の領域における交流、科学技術分野の協力や経済上の連携、こうした関係全体の拡大強化を達成し、次世代へ引継ぎたいと思います。私が特に推進しているのは、日系企業の現地法人が取り組むバリューチェーン構築の支援です。今年は、メキシコに進出して活動中の日系企業数が1,000社の大台にのりました。日本の高い技術力と優れた経営手法が導入されて、現地の労働者がこれらを学習していることは重要です。それが続いていけば、労働の品質が改善され、生産性が向上します。日系企業は、メキシコを拠点にして、他のラテン・アメリカ各国へビジネス圏を拡大することができます。このウィン・ウィンの関係を発展させたいと考えています。


Make most of irreplaceable youth

 

かけがえのない「若さ」を大いに活用すべし

Ambassador Carlos Almada (left) and Hideki Kato (right), chairman of Hakumon Herald, pose for a photo after the interview.
Ambassador Carlos Almada (left) and Hideki Kato (right), chairman of Hakumon Herald, pose for a photo after the interview.

  -Can you give some message to us students?

最後に我々学生に向けたメッセージをお願いします。

 

  Ambassador: You should fully enjoy yourselves reading books, tasting arts and falling in love as much as possible. Keep a spirit of altruism, hold your dream higher and take on a challenge without being afraid of failure. I advise you to make the most of your irreplaceable privilege of being young.

大使 本を読み、芸術に触れ、いっぱい恋をして、人生を満喫する。利他の精神を忘れずに、高い理想を掲げて、失敗を恐れず挑戦する。かけがえのない「若さ」という特権を最大限に行使してください。

 

-Thank you for your time.

 (Interviewed by: Hideki Kato)

ありがとうございました。

(聞き手・加藤英樹)

 

Brief profile of Ambassador Carlos Almada

カルロス・アルマーダ大使略歴

 

Born in Mexico City, the United Mexican States, in 1951, Ambassador Almada earned his bachelor degree in public administration from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa in 1972. After working briefly at the municipal office of Sinaloa, he did his internship in reginal administration in the United States in 1974, completed MPA (master degree of public administration) at the International Institute of Paris (1975-76) and Ph.D. at the University of Law, Economics and Social Sciences of Paris. Returning home, he served as Secretary of Administration at the Government of the State of Mexico (1981-86), Chief Officer at the Ministry of the Interior (1995) and Director General of Social Communication and spokesman of the Office of the President of Mexico (1996-97), achieving tremendous performances at the federal government. He served as ambassador to Portugal (1997-99), Chief of the Executive Office of the Governor of the State of Nuevo Leon (2009-12) and Deputy Secretary of Transportation at the Ministry of Communications and Transportations (2013-15). He has been ambassador to Japan since 2015.

 

1951年メキシコ合衆国、メキシコ市に生まれる。72年にシナロア自治大学(行政学)卒業。シナロア州市役所で勤務後、アメリカで地方自治体実務研修(74年)、パリ国際研究所で行政学修士(75-76年)、パリ法律経済社会科学大学で行政学博士号を取得。帰国後、メキシコ州政府局長(81-86年)、内務省官房長(95年)、大統領府報道局長(96-97年)など、中央政府において多大な功績を収める。97年から99年の駐ポルトガル大使、ヌエボ・レオン州知事(200912年)、通信運輸省運輸担当次官(2013-15年)を経て、2015年から現職の駐日本メキシコ大使。

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