Garcetti Meets with Peña Nieto

Mayor Eric Garcetti met, March 4, with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.

The investment in Mexico’s ports in the northern region of the west coast to increase the number of cruises between Los Angeles and Baja was among the issues discussed by Garcetti and Peña Nieto. Each ship that calls at the Port of Los Angeles equals $1 million in economic impact for Southern California region.

They also discussed increasing the number of flights from Mexican cities to Los Angeles’ airports.

Garcetti is in Mexico City for his first trade mission as mayor, leading a delegation of government officials and business leaders to increase tourism, encourage companies to locate in Los Angeles and invest in local companies in Los Angeles.

Also March 4:

• Garcetti announced an agreement between USC and the Bank of Mexico to establish fellowships for students studying law, engineering, communications, business and architecture.
• Met with Andres Conesa, CEO of Aeromexico, to discuss LAX and the airline working closely to resolve customs and border patrol issues and pave the way for increased flights.
• Met with the Vice Minister of Tourism Carlos Joaquin González and Princess Cruises to discuss their mutual interest in increasing the number of cruises between Los Angeles and the northern region of the west coast of Mexico. They agreed to joint tourism promotion and marketing efforts to restore the cruise industry on the west coast.
• Announced that the Esperanza Azteca youth orchestra program will debut in the United States at a Los Angeles Unified School District school in cooperation with the after school program Beyond the Bell.
• Met with Enrique Beltranena, CEO of Volaris.
• Met with the undersecretary of transportation and communication.

On March 3:

• Met with the U.S. ambassador to Mexico about economic development issues.
• Met with the Mexican under-secretary of the foreign ministry to establish an implementation plan with Promexico, the Mexican tourism and trade arm, to identify the top 20 areas that Los Angeles and Mexico should collaborate on for trade, tourism, and economic development.
• Signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mexico City Chief of Government Miguel Mancera to increase trade.
• Discussed economic issues at a gathering of 300 Mexican business leaders.
• Joined Panda Restaurant Group Inc. and Grupo Gigante to announce their plan to expand in Mexico.
• Participated in a signing ceremony between California State University, Northridge and the National Autonomous University of Mexico to establish a Center for Mexico and Latin American Studies at CSUN.
• Hosted an event to promote Los Angeles  as a tourist destination to Mexican tourism leaders.