Mayor, Commissioners Meet Ambassadors

Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry and two Bernalillo County commissioner will meet today with Mexican and Czech ambassadors to look at boosting international trade.

Commissioners Maggie Hart Stebbins and Wayne Johnson will join Berry today in the effort. The full press release from the International Trade Alliance is below.

Mayor and County Commissioners to Meet with Foreign Ambassadors

Albuquerque, NM— Today Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry, Bernalillo County Commission Vice-Chair Maggie Hart Stebbins and Commissioner Wayne Johnson will meet with two foreign Ambassadors to the United States who are currently in town visiting Albuquerque.  The Mayor and Commissioners will receive Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan and Czech Republic Ambassador Petr Gandalovic.  The meetings have been arranged under the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Trade Alliance’s mission to bolster international business in the region.

“Strong international partnerships in government can open doors and create opportunities for business,” said Mayor Berry. “We’re happy to receive visitors from all around the world, and we look forward to future exchanges that will spur investments and interest in our City’s quality of life, incentives, and natural beauty.”

Commissioner Hart Stebbins commented, “I am always thrilled to represent the County for Trade Alliance meetings because it enables us to discover potential synergies between our industry sectors.  I look forward to productive discussions today.”

“These are the types of relationships that provide international exposure for Albuquerque and Bernalillo County” said Commissioner Johnson. “Since the consulates of most foreign governments are headquartered in other states, these high-level meetings with ambassadors help to insure that we are on their radar for trade development and foreign direct investment.”

Mayor Berry will lead the first official trade mission for the Trade Alliance later this month. Participating local companies will travel alongside the Mayor to the Republic of Mexico making stops in Mexico City and Guadalajara from October 28th through November 2^nd, 2012.  The Consulate of Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico’s only foreign consulate, is working with the Trade Alliance to maximize the visit for the Albuquerque trade delegation.

The Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Trade Alliance is an intergovernmental partnership created to expand the region’s international trade promotion efforts. The Trade Alliance pools resources to offer an international business assistance program that is accessible to all companies within Bernalillo County.  To learn more about the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Trade Alliance visit www.abctradealliance.com