London - Mexican President Felipe Calderon visited the heart of the British oil industry during a trip to Scotland Tuesday as part of a four-day state visit that will also include his attendance at the Group of 20 (G20) summit.

The president, and his partner, Margarita Zavala, arrived in Britain Monday to a ceremonious welcome by Queen Elizabeth II. Calderon and Zavala are the queen's guests at Buckingham Palace.

The couple flew to Aberdeen in Scotland Tuesday to visit the headquarters of oil giant British Petroleum (BP), which is leading the North Sea oil exploration off the coast of Scotland and plays a mjaor role in oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico.

The president was accompanied by Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, on his trip to Aberdeen, where the delegation held meetings with senior BP representatives.

Calderon, in a speech to representatives of the oil industry, underlined the importance of his country's links with Britain, and said that recent reforms in Mexico had benefited its energy sector.

"The capabilities for the future of Mexico are amazing and that is exactly why we are looking to these reforms and looking here in Aberdeen," he said.

As well as meeting people from various energy firms, the president also spoke to a group of Mexican students currently at Scottish universities studying subjects related to the industry. (dpa)