Ambassador Wayne Inaugurates New U.S. Consulate General Tijuana

Ambassador Wayne Inaugurates New U.S. Consulate General Tijuana

Tijuana, September 30, 2011 – U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Anthony Wayne presided over the formal inauguration today of the new U.S. Consulate General in Tijuana.

“In addition to providing vital consular services to many thousands of Mexicans and Americans, the Consulate coordinates border initiatives, facilitates commerce, and sponsors cultural and educational exchanges.  It represents the U.S. Government and the people of our country in countless ways.    This new building, which will be a gathering place and a platform for binational activities for decades to come, will help the Consulate better play this role.   It represents a long-term investment in the future of this border region,” Ambassador Wayne said during the ceremony. 

Baja Governor Osuna Millan, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Janice Jacobs, Mayor Carlos Bustamente, Managing Director of the Office of Overseas Buildings Leo Hession, and Consul General Steven Kashkett participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony.

In his remarks Governor Osuna Millan said, “Today we are not only reaffirming our brotherhood, ratified by thousands of acts and interactions between the residents of both sides of the border that happen every day, but we are witnessing the formal opening of one of the most modern buildings that the Government of the United States has constructed in the world in order to attend to the needs or their citizens and those of other countries.” 

Situated on a 10-acre site in the Mesa de Otay neighborhood, the $120,000,000 multi-building complex provides approximately 165 consulate employees with a state-of the-art-workspace. The buildings include improved space for assisting American citizens and visa applicants, as well as space for cultural and educational events.   Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Janice Jacobs said the Consulate General “processes close to 200,000 visas per year and that Mexico, in total, processes 1.3 million each year.  This represents close to 17 percent of all the visas that the U.S. Government processes each year around the world.”

The new building will integrate all offices of the government of the Unites States with a presence in Tijuana into one building for better coordination.  The facility is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) green building rating system.  Consul General Steven Kashkett said, “today, as we struggle to create a Border for 21^st Century, I am proud to say that we will now have a Consulate for the 21^st Century.”