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Uncertainty over upheaval in Middle East prompts deputy prime minister to head delegation of businesses and universities Nick Clegg is to push for stronger ties with Latin America as officials said events in the Middle East have made the region an unpredictable partner for the UK. The deputy prime minister will lead a delegation of British businessmen and the vice-chancellors of six universities to Mexico as he seeks to win international business for the UK’s university sector. Mexico is the world’s 14th largest economy but officials believe it will move up to seventh place before the end of the decade. Clegg is this week taking the lead in what has been described by officials as a “year-long charm offensive” and is visiting Mexico where he will address the country’s senate in Spanish. Diplomats said he will be the first UK politician to address the senate, despite not being a head of state, and will meet Mexican president Felipe Calderón. Clegg will extol the virtues of UK industries to Latin America and will promote the UK’s education sector, the funding of which dented his standing so badly when he went back on a pre-election promise not to raise university fees. The government believes its education industry is a British success story and hopes to promote it as one that should set up satellite operations abroad in countries such as Mexico. Clegg will be accompanied by the vice-chancellor of the university in his Sheffield constituency, as well as ones from Aberdeen, Strathclyde and Southampton. The universities minister, David Willetts, and foreign office minister, Jeremy Browne, will also go on the trip. Clegg leaves the UK for Latin America after his last attempt at making the trip was cancelled to enable him to stay and vote through the government’s plans for a referendum on the alternative vote. Foreign office officials have been trying to get him to go abroad, saying there is international interest in the coalition that was formed in the UK last May. There is also a debate within the Foreign Office over the strategic direction the UK should take in the light of the uprisings in the Middle East, with question marks raised about whether Britain can continue to rely on the region for trade. An official from the government’s trade promotion body, UK Trade & Investment, said: “One or two of our traditional markets are proving a tad more difficult so if we could get more from Latin America, [that would help].”This year William Hague will open more embassies in Latin America, and there will be an emphasis on “political economy” as the UK seeks to capitalise on its standing in Mexico where officials say it is respected for its role in international affairs. Mexico is said to have looked to the UK for diplomatic guidance during the negotiations surrounding the situation in Libya, as well as have an interest in how British politics works. Mexican politicians regularly watch prime minister’s questions. Writing in Mexican daily newspaper, Reforma, Clegg said: “Mexico and the UK are open societies. That is why I am here, leading a delegation of UK government ministers and top businesspeople to Mexico City. Ours are like-minded nations: plural, democratic and internationalist in spirit. We recognise that, in an increasingly interconnected world, our prosperity and security depend ever more on one another. And, in that world, such an affinity is not to be squandered.” Clegg will say it is odd that while there were deep bilateral relationships in the 19th century, when the UK helped Mexico build its infrastructure, now the UK and Mexico don’t trade intensively – the UK is the fifth-largest trading nation in the world while Mexico is the “trade star” of Latin America. “The World Bank has declared Mexico the easiest Latin American nation within which to do business. In Europe, the OECD has said the same about the UK. Yet the UK makes up less than 1% of Mexico’s imports. We have allowed ourselves to be overtaken by our competitors – Germany, Spain, the Netherlands too. Brazil’s exports to the UK are now more than double Mexico’s. These are missed opportunities we should not be willing to accept.” His trip will see new targets set for bilateral trade and the creation of a top-level forum of businessmen from both countries. “And this isn’t just about trade. There is a great deal we can learn from each other in order to generate lasting prosperity for our nations. During the recent economic crisis, for example, Mexican banks were better capitalised than their British counterparts. Having learnt from the Tequila Crisis of the 1990s, Mexico demonstrated great resilience in the face of global recession. As we look to reform our banking sector at home, there are important parallels we can draw. Clegg will also meet US vice-president Joe Biden in Washington on Wednesday. International trade Nick Clegg Mexico University funding Allegra Stratton guardian.co.uk