TIJUANA- During a recent binational delegation meeting held in Mexico City in conjunction with the "Mexico-California Commerce Initiative" mission, Tijuana Mayor Jorge Astiazarán, asserted that we must be improving conditions that will lead to a better exchange of commerce and tourism between San Diego and Tijuana. In attendance were representatives of Tijuana's Department of Transportation, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer; the Lieutenant Governor of California, Gavin Newsom; general director of bridges and border crossings, Marco Frías Galván; the head of Tijuana's Economic Development Department, Xavier Peniche Bustamante; and the Consul General of Mexico in San Diego, Remedios Gómez Arnau.

During the meeting, Mayor Astiazarán explained that one of the objectives is to come up with solutions to make the border crossing more agile, such as incorporating better infrastructure and staff training.

He asserted that one of the main goals is to develop competitivity in the Tijuana and Cali-Baja region, and a reduction in wait times will increase commercial economic benefits on both sides of the border.

Mayor Astiazarán also reviewed the most recent construction work being completed at the San Ysidro border crossing, and the so-called Otay Mesa II crossing, or Otay Mesa East crossing, which is set for completion in 2015, and is aimed toward easing border crossings for commercial traffic and providing greater connectivity in the cross-border region.

The head of Tijuana's Economic Development Department, Xavier Peniche Bustamante, highlighted the delegation's interest in developing a strategic region between Tijuana and San Diego.

Part of the agenda for the binational delegation included meeting with Sergio Alcocer Martinez de Castro, Undersecretary for North America; and the ambassador for the United States in Mexico, Anthony Wayne.

Mayor Astiazarán also met with the Senate's Committee on Northern Affairs, which is headed by Senator Ernesto Ruff Appel, where they also discussed progress with the Otay Mesa II crossing, the San Ysdiro Border Crossing construction, easing the flow of commercial transportation in Otay Mesa, and the binational Tijuana-Tecate rail line.

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