Embassy of the United States Mexico City, Mexico

U.S. Ambassador Wayne Welcomes Governor of Aguascalientes to the Embassy for Dialogue

Mexico City, January 20, 2012--Ambassador Anthony Wayne met Thursday with Carlos Lozano de la Torre, Governor of Aguascalientes, at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. The Ambassador and Governor discussed the many interests shared by the United States and Mexico, from economic prosperity and investment opportunities to the public security challenges both face. The Ambassador welcomed the opportunity to learn more about Aguascalientes.  During the meeting, Governor Lozano and Ambassador Wayne discussed the importance of job creation to the economic well-being of the state and its inhabitants.  The Ambassador congratulated the governor on his state’s efforts to attract foreign investment, as demonstrated by the large scale presence of important American companies such as Xerox and Sensata (formerly a division on Texas Instruments) in Aguascalientes.

Following the meeting, Ambassador Wayne said, “It was my pleasure to meet Governor Lozano, and I look forward to a continuing dialogue with him throughout his tenure. I also appreciated his kind invitation to visit Aguascalientes, and very much look forward to accepting it.”  The Ambassador was interested to hear from the Governor about the upcoming Feria San Marcos, a key event for the state of Aguascalientes, and an important cultural occurrence at the national level.

During the meeting, Governor Lozano described some of his state’s achievements in education, which is just one area where the United States has important cultural ties with the people of Aguascalientes.  Starting in the late 1990s, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico worked with the state to address local needs in the teaching of English.  The effort was far-reaching, including changes to pedagogy, curriculum, training and credentialing of instructors, and evaluation standards for student performance.  The results are that, today, in 60 percent of the state’s public schools, English language is a mandatory subject beginning at the primary level, benefitting more than 125,000 students.  Students of English in Aguascalientes are currently testing at a level of English proficiency that will make them competitive in future years for opportunities in higher education and in the job market.  The state’s citizens have also participated in a variety of U.S. educational and professional exchange programs focused on teaching English, including the International Visitor Leadership Program, the Fulbright-Garcia Robles scholarship program, and the Study of the U.S. Institutes program.