There were hugs at the border Saturday when Tamaulipas Governor Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca and United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi met on an international bridge linking Nuevo Laredo and Laredo.
The two were among several officials and dignitaries from both countries who took part in the hugging ceremony on the Juárez-Lincoln bridge to commemorate the birthday of George Washington.
Mexican and U.S. officials met in the middle of the bridge to exchange embraces and speak about the importance of the bilateral relationship between the two nations.
During the ceremony, Governor García said the U.S. and Mexico should find ways to better use their longstanding relationship to encourage economic growth and improve living conditions for families on both sides of the border.
Texas Secretary of State David Whitley said the ceremony was a symbol of the strong friendship between two countries that share not just a long history together, but a shared destiny.
“I am proud to say that in the last three years, commerce between Texas and Mexico has increased and our future looks brighter than ever.”
Speaker Pelosi thanked Laredo Representative Henry Cuellar for inviting her to the bridge ceremony, saying she would remember it for years.
Source: El Universal (sp), The Hill (en)