El Paso, Texas – The Border Legislative Conference (BLC) and the Office of Congressman Beto O’Rourke, in conjunction with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars - Mexico Institute and the North American Research Partnership will convene a regional economic competitiveness forum onFriday, September 12 at the El Paso Convention Center. The all-day forum is aimed at bringing together regional stakeholders to discuss and solicit ideas on how the Texas, New Mexico and Chihuahua region can capitalize on its strengths and identify public policies that further the region’s economic competitiveness.
The forum will include the participation of the Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Stefan Selig, as well as members of the U.S. and Mexico federal Congress. “We want to be the most competitive region in North America and this conference is another step towards that goal,” stated Congressman O’Rourke.
The BLC, of which Texas State Senator Jose Rodriguez will serve as vice chair in 2015, has convened three other forums this year along the California-Baja California, Arizona-Sonora, and the East Texas – Tamaulipas- Nuevo Leon-Coahuila regions. Each forum has engaged with key government and private sector leaders from the U.S. and Mexico, and provided an opportunity for participants to provide input and ideas.
“Border states and communities have long offered expertise and ideas for enhancing our regional competitiveness, which benefits both countries,” stated Senator Rodriguez. “States and local governments should be our strongest advocates in identifying and promoting public policies that will spur regional and national economic growth.”
The regional economic competitiveness forums are convening at a pivotal time in the U.S. – Mexico relationship, as Mexico recently enacted important reforms to key sectors of the economy, including its energy sector. Additionally, as economic activity between the two countries continues to grow, the Texas-New Mexico-Chihuahua border region has a unique opportunity to work together to establish and promote effective regional competitiveness strategies.
For more information about the forum, please visit http://www.borderlegislators.org/RECF_TX_CH_NM_eng.html
The BLC is a binational mechanism of cooperation among legislators of the 10 U.S. – Mexico border states. Financial support for the BLC, including the regional economic competitiveness forums, is provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID/Mexico).
Information from the Office of Senator Jose Rodriguez