|
Mexican and U.S. border governors will gather in New Mexico in late September, but Gov. Bill Richardson said Wednesday it's not a protest over the event's cancellation in Arizona because of that state's immigration enforcement law.
Gov. Richardson announced that the rescheduled meeting will be held Sept. 19-20 and will focus on border security, economic development and energy, The Associated Press reported. The governor said earlier this month the event would be held in New Mexico, but the dates had not been decided.
“There has never been a greater necessity for dialogue on border issues, not only among border states, but also with our respective federal governments,” Richardson said in a letter inviting the governors of six Mexican states — Coahuila, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon, Sonora, Tamaulipas and Baja California.
According to AP, Richardson and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will co-host the event in Santa Fe. The governors of Arizona and Texas have said they will not attend.
The Mexican ambassador to the U.S. and the U.S. ambassador to Mexico have been invited to the governors' meeting along with representatives from several Mexican and U.S. agencies, including the Justice, State and Homeland Security departments, Richardson said.
“As border governors, we see the impact of border issues like security, economic development and health issues every day,” Richardson said. “While we may not always agree on every issue, as leaders of the U.S.-Mexico border region we must maintain a strong dialogue to help assure cooperation along the border, resolve regional border issues and make sure bi-national issues are given proper attention by our federal governments,” AP reported.
|
Share Link: 
