International Affairs Department
Monthly Newsletter
May Edition
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New Honorary Consul of France in San Antonio Officially Introduced - April 8, 2009
The City of San Antonio and the Consulate General of France hosted a nomination ceremony for San Antonio’s new French Honorary Consul, local real estate developer James Lifshutz. As Honorary Consul, Mr. Lifshutz is tasked with assisting and protecting French citizens in South Central Texas and facilitating trade and friendship between France and San Antonio.
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IAD supports First Gala of new Turkish-American Association of San Antonio - April 9, 2009
The Turkish American Association of San Antonio (TAASA) is a newly created 501©(3) non-profit organization serving Turkish-Americans and friends of Turkey in the greater San Antonio area. The Turkish population of San Antonio is growing and is currently seeking a sister city relationship in Turkey to promote greater commercial and cultural exchanges.
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Visit by Mayor of Red Deer Canada - Monday, April 27, 2009
Morris Flewwelling, Mayor of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, lead an official delegation to the 2009 International Downtown Alliance Conference held in San Antonio. The San Antonio River Authority gave the delegates a technical tour of the Riverwalk and the Riverwalk improvements project. This was Mayor Flewwelling's second technical tour of the Riverwalk but the first for the City Manager and the Director of Economic Development of the City of Red Deer.
Red Deer is Alberta's third most populous city, after Calgary and Edmonton. For decades, its eponymous river has been developed as a linear park. The City of Red Deer is currently developing a portion of their river for mixed-use purposes and hope to gain inspiration from San Antonio.
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US Diplomat Visits Hometown April 20-28 & May 10-23, 2009
US Consul General of Guatemala and native San Antonian, Kay Anske is making the rounds among international organizations, schools and universities to lecture on her extensive career in the Foreign Service. Deliberately selecting challenging posts, Ms. Anske has served twice to Karachi, Pakistan and other trouble spots around the world. A graduate of UTSA and St. Mary’s University, she is encouraging the Foreign Service as a viable option for interested students.
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Delegation of Mexican Educators visits San Antonio for ESL Training at UNAM - April 2, 2009
A delegation of 102 teachers from different Mexican states are currently in San Antonio for a 4-week training program on best practices in English as a Second Language education. Their visit is possible thanks to Dr. Jose Antonio Vela, Director of UNAM-San Antonio, and the Ministry of Education of Mexico. This is the second delegation of its kind to visit San Antonio this spring, with two more to come in the following weeks for a total of 250 teachers.
The International Affairs Department facilitate d their visit to City Council on Thursday, April 2nd, where Councilwoman Cisneros publicly recognize d the teachers' commitment to improve English education in Mexico .
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Conglomerate from Central Mexico seeks to invest in San Antonio real estate projects – April 29, 2009
Casa San Antonio in Mexico City recruited three Mexican companies in the Real Estate and Retirement Community Development industry interested in exploring investment opportunities in San Antonio. The conglomerate of companies, which currently manage a vast portfolio in Mexico’s main tourist destinations, met with 16 local businesses during their week-long visit.
Gourmet produce company makes inroads into local market – April 23, 2009
Hidrominiaturas S.A. de C.V. from the Mexican State of Morelos met with local top food service distributors, importers and supermarket chains. Hidrominiaturas has been investing more than 6 years in R&D to create high quality miniature vegetables for the US gourmet industry. They are grown in a green house environment with advanced technology and closed-circuit irrigation techniques reducing losses to only 3% per crop. The company plans to return repeatedly to San Antonio in the coming months.
Top Mexican coffee company visits San Antonio in hopes to expand elite clientele – May 4, 2009
Ultraprocesos de Cafe will visit San Antonio on an exploratory mission to establish new distribution channels for their high-quality, fair trade coffee produced from 100% Arabic Beans cultivated in the regions of Veracruz, Oaxaca and Chiapas. Ultraprocesos is one of the most important coffee producers in Mexico with a production of more than 600 tons per month. Their clients in Mexico include high-profile national retail chains, airlines, and government institutions, including Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
Upcoming Events
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20th Anniversary of Kumamoto En Japanese Garden - May 9, 2009.
2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the Kumamoto En Japanese Garden, a gift from San Antonio’s sister city of Kumamoto, Japan. The Japan-America Society of San Antonio will commemorate this special date at their annual Kumamoto En Day celebration to be held on Saturday, May 9 from 10 AM to 3 PM at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. The event, which also coincides with Children’s Day in Japan, will feature traditional food and entertainment and is free to the public with admission to the San Antonio Botanical Garden.
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San Antonio furniture company seeks to expand market share in Mexico - May 15, 2009
Casa San Antonio in Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City will assist a major local furniture company on a nationwide trade mission to expand their current sales south of the US border. The company is a subsidiary of one of the largest cabinet manufacturers in the world, generating more than $1 billion in sales each year.
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If you and your company are interested in exporting or importing products or services we recommend you contact Iñigo Arzac, International Trade and Investment Manager, for information on the IAD’s business assistance services. If you have any questions regarding the items published in this newsletter, please contact Jose M. Vega, Chief of Protocol, at 210-207-8102.
Archive of International Affairs Department Monthly Newsletter
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