• The instruction of Presidents López Obrador and Biden is to expedite and fast-track the work so that by end-2023 everything is operational: Ebrard 

Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar today led a Strategic Border Infrastructure Forum in Tijuana, Baja California to give impetus to the work being done by Mexico and the United States to modernize the existing infrastructure and build new ports of entry. This will contribute to the economic growth of the cities on the border between both countries.

At the forum, which was also attended by Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila and the Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Todd D. Robinson, 13 border infrastructure projects between Mexico and the United States were discussed. The projects will drive economic growth and improve the living conditions of the inhabitants of the border region.  

The Otay Mesa II–Otay Mesa East international border crossing project is for a new high-tech port of entry that will decongest the crossings in the area and significantly reduce inspection times. 

On the Chihuahua-New Mexico border, modernization of the San Jerónimo-Santa Teresa crossing and its access roads will streamline the crossing and will provide an alternative for the commercial traffic that currently goes through the Ciudad Juárez-El Paso urban area.

In his remarks, Foreign Secretary Ebrard said that the integration between Mexico and the U.S. is underway "thanks to the productive processes and high-level dialogues to streamline our supply chains and production capacity in the pharmaceutical, medical, electromobility and other sectors."

“As a result of the conversation that President López Obrador had with President Biden, Mexico has made some decisions (approved projects) […] this is an investment to date of 700 million dollars that have been approved and all [projects] are now in stages of varying degrees of progress," he emphasized.

The goal and the instruction of both presidents, he said, is that “by the end of 2023, everything that I have just mentioned is operational […] because they want this border to be—it is and it will be—the busiest in the world.”

Ambassador Salazar said, "This is an important and historic day." He added that at this time, with "President Biden and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, we see the relationship between the United States and Mexico in a very positive way."

“What we have to do is make sure we move forward with a joint plan between the United States and Mexico to create a border where people, culture, commerce, security, can be seen all along this border of 3,000 kilometers—2, 000 miles," he said.

One of the main challenges in the border region is the economic impact of delays at the border crossings, which can lead to billions of dollars of losses for both countries. This is why it is essential to reduce the waiting times at the border crossings.  Improving efficiency and optimizing the ports of entry is essential to achieve this goal.

On behalf of the Mexican government, the Foreign Ministry reaffirms its commitment to streamlining the supply chains between the two countries for the well-being of their peoples and the 13.6 million inhabitants of the Mexico-United States border region. It is estimated that more than five million jobs in the United States depend on trade with Mexico. More than half of total US exports to Mexico go through the four border states.

The Mexican delegation, led by Foreign Secretary Ebrard, included the Chief Officer for North America, Roberto Velasco; the Chief of Staff to the Foreign Secretary, Daniel Millán; the Director General of Political Coordination, Ximena Escobedo; the Consul General of Mexico in San Diego, Carlos González; and representatives of the Ministries of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation, and Defense; the National Customs Agency; the Institute for the Administration and Appraisals of National Assets; and the Mexican Section of the International Boundary Commission.

The United States delegation included Hillary Quam, Border Affairs Coordinator, and Paul Ghiotto, Border Affairs officer, both from the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs; the U.S. Consul General in Tijuana, Thomas Reott; representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico and the U.S. Consulate General in Tijuana; the Department of Homeland Security; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the General Services Administration and the Department of Transportation.

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