2013 U.S.-Mexico Border Mayors reunion

By Adina Moloman

Sources: El Paso Times, UT San Diego

The U.S.-Mexico Border Mayors Association recently met in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

The Forth Bi-national Summit of the US-Mexico Border Mayors Association, where the main idea for the Mayors from along the US-Mexico border is to collaborate on topics that affect both communities in Mexico and in the United States.

Mayor’s from 22 border cities in the US and Mexico attended the event; along with Alan Bersin, Assistant Secretary of International Affairs and Chief Diplomatic Officer at the US Department of Homeland Security that has been present at the previous gatherings.

This year San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, has been named a co-chair of the U.S.-Mexico Border Mayors Association.

The City of San Diego hosted the Third Bi-national Summit of the US-Mexico Border Mayors Association last year in August 2012 and the previous one took place in Tijuana in February 2012.

The main themes that have been addressed had to do with migration and the measures to handle the number of Mexican deported from US, also the importance of changing a negative perception about public safety in Mexico. Additionally, they focused on topics such as Border Crossings, Economic Development, Tourism and Culture.

At this forth summit the main discussions were over the economic development of border cities, border infrastructure needed in order to reduce congestion at border crossings, and on the border interaction between the industry Manufacturing in Mexico and the US trade demand.

During the event the participants approved 11 resolutions, most of them aimed at increasing bi-national trade and improving infrastructure at the ports of entry.