USTDA ACTIVITIES SUPPORT THE PARTNERSHIP FOR PROSPERITY WITH MEXICO

SAN FRANCISCO, June 10 - Earlier today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) confirmed its dedication to the Partnership for Prosperity between the United States and Mexico, expressing its intent to provide $1.38 million of assistance through three separate activities in the region. Specifically, USTDA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (ASA), signed an MOU with Mexico's Secretariat for Communications and Transportation (SCT), and announced the awarding of a contract to strengthen the implementation of competition policy in Mexico. These developments took place as part of the Partnership for Prosperity Conference, which opened yesterday at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, California.

USTDA Deputy Director Barbara Bradford signed an MOU today with ASA, Mexico's national airport operator. The MOU states the intention of USTDA to fund a feasibility study for the expansion and modernization of the Ciudad Obregón International Airport in Sonora, Mexico. The project involves the expansion of the airport to include an air cargo facility to service the needs of Sonora and surrounding regions. USTDA expects to sign an agreement to confer the grant later this summer.

USTDA Deputy Director Bradford signed an MOU with SCT, the ministry responsible for Mexico's national transportation system, indicating plans to sign a grant later this month. This USTDA grant will fund technical assistance and capacity building related to SCT's National Intelligent Transportation Systems Architecture project. The USTDA grant will assist in the development of a comprehensive framework that will guide the future technical standards of Mexico's national transportation network.

Finally, USTDA announced the award of a technical assistance totaling $500,000 in support of strengthening competition policy in Mexico. The objective of the technical assistance is to strengthen the institutional capacity of Mexico's Federal Competition Commission (FCC) with the broader goal of improving the implementation of Mexico's Federal Economic Competition Law.

U.S. President George W. Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox announced the Partnership for Prosperity in 2001, a public-private alliance, to build on the strength of the economic relationship between the United States and Mexico. The Partnership aims to build on Mexico's strong regional development efforts, increased macroeconomic stability, and growing international trade and investment by developing new strategies to foster growth in less developed areas of Mexico.

Since 1990, USTDA has obligated more than $13 million to support infrastructure development and capacity building projects in Mexico. USTDA-funded activities in Mexico span a wide range of sectors, including the environment, transportation, and energy.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. USTDA's strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.

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