I know I'm the one thing can we find everyone in their wine and their dinner. I just want to thank you all for just a really great trip today. I want to provide a recap of our time in Guatemala, and then an overview of what you can expect more on Mexico. Then I'll be happy to take your questions and This briefing will be on the record. I'm joined tonight by my colleague, Ricardo Zuniga held in the US a special envoy to the region. And he will be here to answer any questions folks may have as well. As we get ready for our day in Mexico. Let's let's recap what we saw about Amala. The US and Guatemala made several important agreements to strengthen the security and the prosperity of both people in Guatemala and people in the United States. It was a very productive day on the ground. First security when they spoke before the trip, President Jana Tay committed to increase enforcement in Guatemala's northern and southern borders. The first 75 officials will graduate basic training in July, the United States committed to sitting 48 personnel to train these officials and assist with port security by have already arrived in Guatemala with more on their way. Secondly, economic development, the Vice President announced that US will launch the young women's empowerment initiative, and invest 40 million to increase education and economic opportunities for indigenous Guatemalan women and girls. The United States will also invest $48 million in agribusiness, affordable housing and supporting entrepreneurs. Third, anti corruption. We talked a lot about this today already. The Vice President and President Yama Thai agree that we must Naga regional efforts to combat corruption in order to improve the lives of Guatemalans and create the conditions on the ground here in country for investment. They discussed the importance of an independent judiciary and a strong civil society as well as tax reform. And they agreed to establish an anti corruption Task Force comprised of prosecutors and investigators. And these folks are the folks whose job it would be to discourage provoke doctors. Now let's let's look to see what you can expect on the ground in Mexico. So some context about our efforts in Mexico, the US and Mexico they have a shared commitment to prosperous and secure North America, which is founded on a just an equitable society, broad economic opportunity and security for all. In early May. Vice President Harris met virtually with Mexican president Lopez Obrador to discuss ways to deepen the bilateral relationship, and to expand cooperation between the United States and Mexico to address the root causes of flight from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. While in Mexico, we will work to build on the progress from that first conversation that progress include included the two countries jointly agreeing to secure our borders and bolster the protection of human rights. Secondly, spur economic development in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador and Southern Africa. Third, in early May they agree to protect the rights of workers who organize or join a union and expand opportunities for us business collaboration. For they agreed to develop a package of measures that include trade and business development missions to the region, facilitated by the Department of Commerce, the United States Trade and Development Agency, and investments through the US international development Finance Corporation. And lastly, in that early May meeting, the two countries are free to conduct migrant smuggling and human trafficking that will bring together law enforcement from both nations to dismantle criminal networks.
Okay. So during this bilateral meeting with President Lopez Obrador tomorrow, they will discuss three of our shared interests, the Vice President and President Lopez Obrador launched our economic relationship to our security cooperation, and three stemming migration from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. They will also speak about migration specifically to The US Mexico border, both by stepping up enforcement are going to address root causes. As the Vice President and President yamatai discussed earlier today, the Vice President and President Lopez Obrador will witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Mexico to establish a strategic partnership to cooperate on development programs in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. You can expect us to expand on the high level of cooperation between the US and Mexico on bilateral economic and security issues as we work together to address the root causes of migration. Following the bilateral meeting, Vice President Harris will meet will participate in a conversation with women entrepreneur. She will then participate in a labor roundtable over the past few years specifically on the roundtable on color. Mexico has put in place to store labor reforms, which include provisions to ensure the right to organize a union and collectively bargain, eliminate discrimination on the job, establish standards for wages, hours health and safety and abolish child labor. unions in the United States have shown solidarity with Mexico's workers and unions. At tomorrow, Vice President Harris will reiterate that they have the support of the United States government. As a reminder, Vice President parents on the domestic side chairs the administration's Task Force on labor that is vice chair by labor secretary Marty Walsh. And lastly, tomorrow, she will greet and thank embassy staff for serving on the frontlines and for the sacrifices they're making for their families. With that, we're happy to take a couple of questions.
Could you give us a little bit about the court that is likely to be signed on a record it was kind of talking about that.
So the mo will be signed, and I will get the name specifically. So you all will have it for the full report. But just a note, the president of the president Lopez Obrador, and vice president Paris will not be the one signing that Mr. Minister from Lopez Obrador cabinet will be one of the signers. And I have to get the name. I don't I don't want to I want to get the correct name of who's fighting on our side.
Yes, typically, if somebody from the embassy has Signing Authority, and that's normal massage. So what exactly will it say? So it's really about ways that we're going to cooperate between our respective development agencies in Central America, Guatemala has a series of programs, I let them announce how much they're dedicating, when they're already present. pretty active in Central America. The the real focus on on youth and and reforestation in that was discussed. Yeah. Right, exactly. But the main thing is this, right, that it's very important to show that the United States and Mexico we're collaborating and trying to improve conditions on the ground in, you know, among our neighbors, because you know, the importance that the countries in Central America have, for both of us, we are both destination countries for migration, Central America. And we both have some of the same issues, trying to ensure that we have legal paths, or migration in for temporary labor, there's actually a lot more approximation between the United States and Mexico that may have been the case a decade ago, in terms of our interest in the work that we're working on. And the importance of Central America, or the US and Mexico not already cooperating on things like that, or is there is this real or is it needed more, and it is new, and it is that we, you know, we talk to each other about this collaboration, but we have not had this level of cooperation in Central America. This is something new.
You know, I mean, with the elections today, it's still obviously the results are being processed. And I'm Lowe's, you know, does not have the same numbers that you enjoyed in the in the house in the capital. I mean, does that impact any of your plans in terms of like partnering with Mexico or going forward, and it really
doesn't impact our plans. I mean, Mexico, this is not a relationship that's episodic. It depends on who is in power. Mexico is our largest trading partner. It is a close neighbor. We had a very intense relationship for obvious reasons. with Mexico. It's only gotten deeper. So for us, Mexico is domestic power. Let's explore Mexico's domestic politics. You know, obviously we it's important to us, because it's important to us who it is that we're dealing with in that government. But the reality is that we have, we have worked right across so many different administrations, and across so many, you know, sort of developments in Mexico's politics. we've retained that since I'm sorry, Ricardo. Okay. Ready to sit down.
Okay. Security, cooperation. You guys plan on? I'll come back to that. Okay. All right. Thank you, everyone. So much. Appreciate it.
