CBP Commissioner Bersin, 15 Mayors Confirmed For May 7 Binational Mayors’ Summit in Rosarito

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---Newly appointed Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin this week was confirmed as a keynote speaker at the May 7 Fifth Binational Mayors’ Summit in this city.

Bersin, appointed in late March by President Barack Obama, will join Mexican Cong. Gaston Luken in keynote talks on the future of the northbound and southbound border crossings, including those at San Ysidro, the busiest in the world.

“We selected this as the keynote topic because it is of vital importance to the flow of commerce and people between these two closely linked nations,” said host Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres. “We are very pleased to have Commissioner Bersin involved.”

Fifteen U.S. and Baja mayors as well as other binational leaders so far have confirmed. Mayors include Steve Diels of co-host Redondo Beach, Jerry Sanders of San Diego, Miguel Pulido of Santa Ana, and Deputy Mayor Rudy Ramirez of Chula Vista.

All five Baja mayors are expected to attend as is Steven Kashkett, U.S. Consul General in Tijuana.

Baja Gov. Jose Guadalupe Osuna Milan will inaugurate the summit Friday morning. The summits grew from a commitment between Osuna and California Gov. Schwarzenegger for greater interaction between the two states.

Five workshops will follow the keynote addresses. They will be on desalination and environment, public security, economic development, border crossings and a mayors’ roundtable. Binational experts will participate in the workshops.

The San Diego Regional and San Ysidro chambers of commerce and Rancho Santiago Community College are among sponsors. A May 6 reception will precede the summit.

“Although Southern California and Baja are in two separate countries, they truly are one region closely linked by friends, family, environment and economy,” Torres said. “The summit is an excellent opportunity to work together on challenges and opportunities.”

“We are very pleased by the response to this one,” he added.