MOTIA February and March '22 Newsletter

Dear Friends of the Mayor’s Office of Trade and International Affairs (MOTIA),

With the world reopening and global events gaining momentum, The City of Houston remains at the forefront of the global dialogue on economic development, climate action, and resilience. The pace of this agenda delayed our previous month’s newsletter as Houston welcomed back the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world, hosted international dignitaries at the 40th anniversary of the CERAWeek conference (the world's premier energy conference), and under Mayor Turner's leadership orchestrated a nearly 70 person trade mission to Mexico City and Monterrey in partnership with Houston First Corporation (HFC) and the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP).

Building peaceful and productive citizen, civic, and municipal relationships is at the very foundation of our city diplomacy initiatives. Houston made a strong stand against Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis that has ensued, which goes against our entire concept of peace in our international system.

As always, thank you for what you do to make Houston the great global city of the future.

Sincerely,

Mayor Sylvester Turner, in partnership with Houston First Corporation and the Greater Houston Partnership, led Houston’s first international trade mission since the pandemic to Mexico, with stops in Monterrey (March 28 - 30) and Mexico City (March 30 - April 1). The “Houston Week” delegation was joined by strategic partners including the Houston Airport System and United Airlines as part of a bold strategy that reinforced Houston’s position as the top city for global trade, tourism, business, and leisure travel from Mexico. This collaboration is part of Houston’s largest economic-development marketing strategy ever deployed in Mexico. There are more travelers visiting our city from Mexico than from any other international market. The visit included meetings with the Secretary of Economy, Secretary of Tourism, Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Mayor of Mexico City, Mayor of Monterrey, the Governor of Nuevo Leon and his State Ministers of Ministers of Economy, Social Inclusion, and Tourism.

“We chose Mexico as the destination for our first international trade mission since the pandemic because we recognize the critical importance of the business and tourism ties between the two regions,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Houston Week" allowed us to strengthen our diplomatic ties by engaging in business development and corporate and travel trade meetings that included an experiential evening event that showcased the very best that our city has to offer. I want to thank Houston First, the Greater Houston Partnership and the entire delegation for representing Houston in an exceptional manner. The City of Houston looks forward to continuing its strong relationship with Mexico for years to come.”

Building ever stronger ties between Houston and Mexico serve to advance the entire region's economy, and we look forward to the new partnerships created during this trade mission.

City of Houston Press Release

Houston Week Recap

CERAWeek 2022 by S&P Global convened over 5,000 delegates and 900 speakers from 87 countries in Houston to discuss the energy transition at one of the most consequential moments for the energy industry in recent memory. As a CERAWeek partner organization, the World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP) brought the Mayors of Houston, Aberdeen, Halifax and Barranquilla, as well as representatives from Calgary and Dammam, to CERAWeek to discuss how hubs for the global energy sector are leading voices on the most pressing challenges facing the urban landscape today, including sustainable economic development, climate action, and building more resilient cities. WECP Mayors participated in sessions including on climate challenges facing mayors and local government, on the transformation of our cities from oil capitals to energy transition capitals, and on creating city hydrogen hubs. The WECP reception was widely considered one of the best receptions of CERAWeek and we look forward to the continued partnership in 2023.

The City welcomed several dignitaries to Houston for CERAWeek including the President of Colombia His Excellency, Ivan Duque Márquez, as well as the Colombian Minister of Environment and the Minister of Energy. During meetings at CERAWeek and with other partners, the Colombian delegation discussed plans to reduce CO2 emissions by 51% by 2030, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and to secure 30% of its territory as protected areas. MOTIA Director Chris Olson joined Barranquilla, a WECP member city, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a subsidiary of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners to build Colombia's first offshore wind-energy project. The Copenhagen Infrastructure New Market Fund (CINMF) project in the Caribbean Sea could be the first offshore wind farm in Latin America. The project is expected to have an installed capacity of 350 megawatts (MW) and generate up to $1 billion in investments.

On behalf of the City of Houston, Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin welcomed the Visegrád Group to Houston including H.E. Hynek Kmoníček, Ambassador of the Czech Republic, H.E. Marek Magierowski, Ambassador of Poland, H.E. Radovan Javorcik, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic, and Mr. Magor Ernyei, Chargé d'Affaires of the Hungarian Embassy. The Visegrád Group – V4 for short – is an alliance of four European states: Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. They take their name from the Hungarian city of Visegrád, where kings once met for economic and political negotiations. The V4 reflects the efforts of the four countries of the Central European region to work together in a number of fields including military, economic, cultural and energy affairs, and to further their integration with the EU. They discussed how they could further increase business ties, educational exchange, and cultural partnerships between the V4 countries and the City of Houston. We look forward to more fruitful engagements and collaborations with the V4 in the years to come.

The City of Houston is coordinating with a range of partners to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. These include coordination with the Consulate General of Ukraine in Houston, the Ukrainian American Cultural Club of Houston, Project Cure, Medical Bridges, HTX4Houston, and many more to provide critical relief supplies to those fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Mayor Sylvester Turner statement on Russia's Invasion of Ukraine:
"The City of Houston condemns the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and stand with the people of Ukraine against the on-going violence. Our global system is built on the principle of the sovereignty of nation states- a principle violated by Russia that has damaged our entire concept of international peace. In Houston, we stand for freedom; for democracy; and for the safety and security of all residents. We join with cities and countries around the world calling for an immediate end to the violence, to protect human rights, and for the return of peace in Europe."

Houston welcomed Dr. Gabriele Goldfuss, Director of the Office for International Affairs from our Sister City of Leipzig, Germany, back to our city. During this trip, Dr. Goldfuss presented at Houston City Council, sharing our continued achievements and robust engagements with Leipzig throughout the years, including cultural, economic and civic exchanges between our cities. Dr. Goldfuss also highlighted the City of Leipzig's efforts in supporting Ukraine through providing financial aid, accommodation, and other public assistance needed to Ukrainians who were taking refuge in Poland and Germany. The Houston-Leipzig Sister City Association is also taking an active role in assisting with providing donation accessibility and community support. The City of Leipzig is accepting donations to provide support for the daily influx of Ukrainian refugees in Leipzig, to support the cause please follow these instructions: Via your PayPal account select "make payment" or "send money," and in the recipient's link paste paypal@leipzig.de. For the allocation of the payments, please specify: Sistercities help Kiev/Ukraine.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world, returned after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. The Rodeo welcomed back more than 2.4 million guests for its 90th anniversary in 2022, with action-packed RODEOHOUSTON competitions, more than 34,000 livestock and horse show entries, a historic $1 million steer auction purchase, a diverse lineup of star entertainers, and family-friendly experiences for everyone. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo promotes agriculture by hosting an annual family-friendly experience that educates and entertains the public, supports Texas youth, showcases Western heritage, and provides year-round educational support within the community. Since its beginning in 1932, the Rodeo has committed more than $550 million to the youth of Texas and educational scholarships.
See Houston's Chronicle-Best Photos from 2022 HLSR