Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto, California Governor Jerry Brown Discuss Immigration Crisis, Climate Change
California Governor Edmund "Jerry" Brown and Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto spoke about climate change and the immigration crisis on Monday as part of the governor's three-day trip.
Brown and Peña Nieto's meeting was private, and only a photo of the meeting was publicly released. Despite the closed meeting, the talks were reportedly "general in nature," according to California Senate President Pro Tempore-elect Kevin de León, who attended the meeting.
De León stated that the Mexican president and Californian governor will likely stay in political office for several years, and as a result, can work to improve economic and climate change efforts.
"That being said, you know, we need to take advantage of the opportunity and bring about projects that work for both sides of the border," de León said, according to The Sacramento Bee.
Brown's three-day trip, known as the "Trade and Investment Mission to Mexico," is mostly focused on improving the economic, environmental and investment opportunities between California and Mexico.
In regards to the immigration crisis, de León noted the conversations did not produce specific policy proposals, but the talks were "productive, highly pragmatic."
As Latin Post reported, Brown met with Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs José Antonio Meade Kuribreña in Sacramento July 23. During the meeting, Brown announced an invitation for Peña Nieto to visit California. Following Monday's meeting with the Mexican president, Brown confirmed Peña Nieto had accepted the invitation.
"California and Mexico share a rich history and strong cultural ties, and we look forward to welcoming President Peña Nieto to the Golden State," Brown said.
During Brown's trip across the southern border, the California governor signed a climate change memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with the Mexican Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. According to the governor's office, the MOU is the latest accord signed by leaders from Canada, China, Israel and Peru.
"This California-Mexico agreement is exactly the type of international collaboration we need to combat the global threat of climate change," said Natural Resources Defense Council's California Advocacy Director Ann Notthoff in a statement.
"It commits both parties to work together to measure, monitor and reduce climate change pollution and presents an opportunity for California and Mexico to learn from each other's efforts to curb pollution. [Monday's] accord is an important step in North America's climate leadership."
"The deepening collaboration between Mexico and California is exactly the sort of leadership the world needs on climate change," said Nathaniel Keohane, the Environmental Defense Fund's (EDF) vice president for International Climate. "California and Mexico can give a crucial boost to the growing global momentum on key policies like carbon pricing that can achieve ambitious reductions in climate pollution, drive clean energy innovation, and promote low-carbon prosperity."
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