Local Mexican Diplomacy Newsletter October 2021

Dear readers, the Local Diplomacy Studies Commission (CEDL) of the Mexican Center for International Relations (CEMERI) brings you the monthly bulletin of the international actions of Local Governments of Mexico, corresponding to the month of October, which begins the last quarter of the year.

Fortunately, during the compilation of the notes contained in this edition of the bulletin, it was possible to observe an increase in the general activity of state and municipal governments in recent weeks, either due to the start of a new government period or the reactivation of its official pages, after the last mid-term elections in June.

In the northwestern region, for example, the "Chihuahua Green City" project stands out, which consists of the implementation of an Industrial Symbiosis methodology in the municipality, in order to promote the circular economy in the city, with the aim of establishing the bases for Chihuahua to be a green capital.

In the northeast region, the Governor of the state, Miguel Riquelme, met with ambassadors and representatives of European Union countries, such as; Austria, Portugal, Spain, France, among others. The reason for the meeting was to generate participation links for the exchange of experiences and search for international cooperation scenarios, issues of human rights, security, migration, sustainable development, etc. were addressed.

In the western region, with the objective of strengthening dialogue and friendship and commercial ties between Jalisco and Korea, to promote Korean investments and companies in Jalisco territory, the General Coordinator of Strategic Growth and Economic Development of Jalisco, Xavier Orendáin met with Jeong-in Suh, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Mexico. Orendáin celebrated the good relationship it has with Korea, which contemplates the promotion and development of exchange programs in areas such as industry, education, agriculture, technology and environmental protection, which are sought to be strengthened with this meeting.

In the eastern region, the state governor, Miguel Barbosa, met with the Swiss Ambassador to Mexico, Eric Mayoraz. During the meeting it was established that Puebla has an open agenda so that any country can invest in the state and be considered an economic and cultural ally. As for the ambassador, he pointed out that Switzerland is a very important partner of Mexico and Puebla.

In the north-central region, Governor Martín Orozco Sandoval began a working tour of the countries of Spain, France and Germany with the purpose of establishing commercial relations and exposing the benefits of Aguascalientes to attract new investments. As the first item on the agenda and with the aim of strengthening cultural and educational institutions, in addition to linking companies from Aguascalientes with Seville, the Governor and the Deputy Mayor of the Seville City Council, Juan Carlos Cabrera Valera, signed a collaboration agreement to start twinning projects.

In the south-central region, the Secretary of Culture and Tourism of the State of Mexico organized the International Tourism Week, with the participation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through the Coordinator of its Cultural Sector in Mexico, Carlos Tejada, with the conference "Sustainable Tourism". In it, the specialist declared that tourism is a strategic and priority area for UNESCO, since it is linked to the cultural sphere and sustainable management of the environment, education and the economy, where the State of Mexico stands out.

In the southwestern region, to commemorate the 456th anniversary of the tornavoyage made by the Manila Galleon, various activities were carried out in Acapulco. In a press conference, the Honorary Consul of the Philippines, Mario de la O Almazán, stressed that this event seeks to highlight the history and cultural exchange between Acapulco and the Philippines. The program included the courtesy visit of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Philippines, Demetrio R. Tuason, to the municipal presidency.

Finally, in the southeast region, the mayor of Mérida, Renán Barrera Concha, in a meeting with the Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean of UN-Habitat and Acting Director for Mexico and Cuba, Elkin Velásquez Monsalve, laid the foundations to establish projects that allow the objectives of the 2030 agenda to be achieved, mainly those focused on the social development of the municipality. The purpose of this first meeting was to propose strategies that make it possible to take advantage of the development of infrastructure that represents an impact on different sectors of society, mainly as a means that triggers an increase in the quality of life.

Without further ado for the moment, the CEDL team hopes that this information is of interest to you, and as in every edition, appreciates the support received for this project.