Mexico's secretary of communications and transportation urged stronger ties between Mexico and the United States this week, telling leaders from both sides of the border that “we have lost that NAFTA spirit.”
Luis Téllez Kuenzler, 49, was in town Wednesday night to pick up an award from San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce's Mexico Business Center during its eighth annual International Tribute Awards Gala.
The economist, who holds a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said “we have lost the center stage of being the most important partner for the U.S.”
He praised the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, calling it “a turning point in our history,” but said the cooperative spirit that led to the treaty has waned.
A member of President Felipe Calderón's cabinet, Téllez is overseeing the bidding process for the $4.8 billion Punta Colonet megaport-and-rail project south of Ensenada, which would provide a new route for Asian goods to American markets.
“He's a key player in our regional economic development,” said James Clark, director of the Mexico Business Center.
Téllez's secretariat oversees airports, seaports, railroads, highways and other crucial infrastructure throughout Mexico.
Téllez previously served as secretary of energy under President Ernesto Zedillo.
Previous recipients of the International Tribute Award include Santiago Creel, Mexico's former interior minister, and former Baja California governors Eugenio Elorduy Walther and Ernesto Ruffo Appel.
Sandra Dibble: (619) 293-1716; sandra.dibble@uniontrib.com
