Tim Kaine: “on December 12, 1822, Jose Manuel Zozaya y Bermudez presented his credentials as Mexico's Envoy Extraordinary and…”

“on December 12, 1822, Jose Manuel Zozaya y Bermudez presented his credentials as Mexico's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to U.S. President James Monroe, which established formal relations between our two countries. On December 12, 2022, the United States and Mexico celebrated the 200th anniversary of our bilateral relations. Our relations with Mexico remain strong and vital, based on mutual respect as sovereign states. Mexico remains one of the United States' closest and most valued partners. Our bilateral relationship directly benefits the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans and Mexicans, whether the issue is trade and economic development, educational and cultural exchange, citizen security, control of illicit drugs, migration, human trafficking, entrepreneurship, innovation, environmental protection, climate change, or public health. The scope of relations between the United States and Mexico extends beyond diplomacy. It encompasses extensive commercial, cultural, educational, and familial ties. Our countries share a 2,000-mile border with 47 active land ports of entry. Hundreds of thousands of people cross the border legally each day, strengthening people-to-people ties and deepening our integration. In addition, an estimated 1.6 million U.S. citizens live in Mexico, and nearly 40 million persons of Mexican descent reside in the United States.…”