Professional Affiliation

Researcher, El Colegio de Mexico; former Mexican Ambassador to Austria, Bolivia, Cuba, and Spain

Expert Bio

Ambassador Roberta Lajous joined the Mexican Foreign Service in 1979 and was appointed Ambassador to Austria in 1995-1998, to Cuba in 2002-2005, to Bolivia in 2007-2010 and to Spain in 2014- 2020. She was Permanent Representative to the UN in Vienna 1995-1998 the year she served as President of the International Conference of the IAEA. She was also Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York from 2000 to 2002, responsible for Mexico´s participation in the Security Council.

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico City, she served as director general for North American Affairs 1983-1986 and for European Affairs 1986-1989. She was head of the Instituto Matías Romero (Diplomatic Academy) 1988-2000 and of Mexico´s pro tempore presidency of CELAC 2020.

At the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) she was editor of the monthy Examen magazine (1990-1995), Secretary for Internacional Affairs (1992-1994) and participated in the presidential campaigns of Luis Donaldo Colosio and Ernesto Zedillo in 1994.

She has published in specialized journals in international affairs, newspapers and magazines and is the author of one of the best sellers from El Colegio de México (her alma mater) Historia minima de las Relaciones Exteriores de México and is currently involved on a project on The Integration of North America with the same institution.

Before she joined the Mexican Foreign Service, she lectured at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in international relations and holds a Master Degree in Latin American Studies from Stanford University in California.

She was President of the Mexican chapter of the International Women's Forum and is now member of the Global Board. She is also member of the Board of COMEXI (Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales).

Wilson Center Project

History of North American Integration

Project Summary

The project will cover the establishment of the Atlantic Empires in North America, the formation of three distinct countries, the process of economic integration with emphasis on the signing of NAFTA in 1994 and the recent negotiations leading to the USMCA. It will emphasize on the different historical experiences that have led to stages of distance and rapprochement between the three countries. It will describe the development of the North American market where the three countries not only trade with each other but have also share the production finished goods.

Major Publications

• Historia mínima de las Relaciones Exteriores de Mexico
• La política exterior de Porfirio Díaz
• Embajadores de Estados Unidos en México