Phoenix, Arizona, February 14th, 2018

On February 20th, 2018, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations are hosting Arizona’s International State of the State, a dinner meeting with a panel consisting of Arizona’s Governor Doug Ducey, Canadian Ambassador DavidMacNaughton, and Mexico’s Undersecretary for North America Carlos Sada at the Omni Scottsdale Resort at Montelucia to discuss business and trade related issues between the Countries, the State of Arizona, and the United States.

It is a rare opportunity to see NAFTA Leaders at this level meet and openly discuss the benefits and challenges confronting the member countries as we move into the coming year. The panel will discuss opportunities and challenges facing North America and the international community. The Governor's International State of the State offers a unique opportunity to connect with Arizona's industry leaders while learning from experts in global business and relations. A wide variety of political and business leaders will be in attendance and Sponsors include APS, SRP, Snell & Wilmer, the Arizona-Mexico Commission as well as Arizona State University, Freeport McMoRan, Isagenix, Wallace and Plese + Dreher.

Given the high demand, only a handful of sponsorship opportunities and table purchases remain but time is limited to purchase the remaining spots. To learn more about event sponsorship or purchasing a table click here . 

The Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, membership organization, dedicated to positioning metro Phoenix as a major regional, international policy center. Composed of community leaders, PCFR’s goal is to assist our members in adapting to a rapidly changing world. 

The Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations is responsible for this Press Release, and inquiries regarding the Committee or this Press Release can be made to James Arrowood, Public Relations Chair, at james@arrowoodattorneys.com

A retired Air Force general who served as the NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe said he’s confident the F-35 program will overcome its “initial issues,” shortly after the Pentagon announced a new glitch with the aircraft’s production Wednesday

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The connection between women’s economic participation and prosperity is undeniable. CFR Fellows Gayle Tzemach Lemmon and Rachel Vogelstein recently released a new Women and Foreign Policy Program report on this topic entitled, Building Inclusive Economies: How Women’s Economic Advancement Promotes Sustainable Growth. To discuss the growth potential presented by women’s economic advancement, they were joined by Laura Tyson, director of the Institute for Business and Social Impact at the University of California Berkley’s Haas School of Business. Tyson highlighted new data on... READ MORE HERE

Thank you Ambassador Sada Solana for making it a great night!

 Click Here to See Pictures From the Event!

FREEPORT IN PERU: TWENTY YEARS AND GOING STRONG

Harry M. (Red) Conger, President and Chief Operating Officer, Freeport-McMoRan Americas and Africa Mining 

Key Points:

• ·         Mr. Conger presented information about Freeport-McMoRan’s products and global reach, focusing on the copper and molybdenum mine in Cerro Verde, Peru.
• ·         Mr. Conger explained that establishing a successful business abroad requires community development.
• ·         Freeport-McMoRan invested time and resources in Cerro Verde to build strong relationships with the local leadership, government, and community.
• ·         Freeport-McMoRan built trust between the company and locals by investing in the region, public services, entrepreneurs, schools, etc.
• ·          By having a strong relationship with the community, Freeport-McMoRan minimized protests from various local groups, which has allowed the company to operate efficiently.
• ·         Freeport-McMoRan approaches the community as a guest by respecting business and cultural differences, and building towards its goals with the motto “Pride Unites Us.”
• ·         A community development business approach has allowed Freeport-McMoRan to become a welcome and appreciated business in Cero Verde, and has led to additional collaborative and profitable projects.  

MEXICO CITY – Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said on Tuesday that the dialogue he will undertake with the U.S. administration of Donald Trump will be marked by an “enormous pragmatism,” the defense of the country’s sovereignty and the protection of its citizens.

The dialogue will be encouraged by the “optimism that words and reason are, without a doubt, the best medium for coexistence between people and nations” and by an “enormous pragmatism for agreeing on what is useful and appropriate for Mexico and for all of North America,” he said.

In addition, it will be based “always on the defense of basic principles that are not negotiable, such as our sovereignty, the national interest and the protection of our countrymen,” the Mexican leader said.

In attending the 14th edition of the Business Summit in the central state of Puebla, Peña Nieto acknowledged that the new chapter opening with the United States “is generating an ongoing uncertainty.”

However, the Mexican government will continue pursuing dialogue, which is “the way to find agreement,” the president said, insisting on the importance of transforming this challenge into an opportunity based on an “enormous confidence in ourselves” and “national unity.”

During the election campaign, Trump not only verbally attacked Mexican immigrants, calling them “rapists” and “criminals,” but also promised to deport undocumented migrants and build a wall along the 3,200 kilometers (about 2,000 miles) of the U.S.-Mexico border.

He also threatened to confiscate remittances, renegotiate or abrogate the North American Free Trade Agreement and refuse to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

In an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” last Sunday, Trump said that perhaps “fences” could be erected along certain border stretches instead of an actual “wall,” but he guaranteed that he would deport almost three million immigrants with “criminal records.”

In his remarks on Tuesday, Peña Nieto said that the country’s future depends on Mexicans themselves emphasizing the reasons to be “profoundly optimistic,” ranging from the “country’s excellent geographical location” and the talent of its youth to the structural reforms undertaken under his administration.

He also reviewed the good news of the past month, including the approval of the 2017 budget package that includes an important adjustment in public spending, the new business plan for Mexico’s Pemex oil company, the evaluation of some 11,000 teachers on the weekend and the start of construction on a new Toyota plant.

The full documentary will be aired on PBS World Channel  (8.3HD, Cox88, Century Link Prism Ch20) on the following dates:

 

• September 28th at 9pm

• September 29th at 10am

• September 29th at 4pm

• October 1st at 5am

• October 4th at 5am

• October 4th at 11am

 

Please check your local listings for exact air times.

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