Governor Kevin Stitt today announced he will be traveling to Mexico this week for an official state visit focused on strengthening diplomatic and economic partnerships. The Oklahoma delegation, which also includes Secretary of Commerce and Workforce Development Scott Mueller, is scheduled to arrive in Mexico City Tuesday afternoon, travel to Monterrey Wednesday evening and return home to Oklahoma Thursday night.
While in Mexico City, Stitt is scheduled to meet with officials from the U.S. Embassy and Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard to discuss plans to open a Mexican consulate in Oklahoma.
“I am very excited to continue expanding the relationship between Oklahoma and Mexico, and I am particularly pleased that Mexico recently announced plans to open a consulate in Oklahoma,” said Gov. Stitt. “My administration has been focused on recruiting a consulate to better serve Oklahoma’s growing Mexican community and I will continue providing whatever support is needed so Oklahomans will no longer have to drive to Little Rock to take care of important business.”
Meetings are also scheduled in Mexico City with leaders from Mexico’s energy industry.
In Monterrey, the Oklahoma delegation will conduct business recruitment meetings as well as visit Universidad Tec de Monterrey to discuss educational partnerships.
This week’s visit is the capstone event of a coordinated effort to strengthen ties between Oklahoma and Mexico. In September, the governor hosted Consul General Rodolfo Quilantan for a cultural celebration at the State Capitol honoring Mexican artist Jose Sacal. Stitt also recently met with Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Esteban Moctezuma at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C.
In 2020, Mexico was Oklahoma’s second-largest export partner and third-largest import partner. Seventeen Oklahoma companies have ultimate parent locations that are headquartered in Mexico. These companies are heavily concentrated in the food manufacturing sector and employ nearly 7,000 Oklahomans.
