A note from Tony Garza

On the eve of U.S. President Barack Obama's first visit to Mexico City, signs in recent weeks from Washington, D.C. suggest that mutual economic and security concerns between our two countries are becoming a priority of the new administration—as it should be. I wanted to share my thoughts with you on the upcoming visit.

I can be reached through my Web site. Please don't hesitate to contact me if I can be of help to you.

With best wishes, I am,

Sincerely,

Tony Garza

Mexico — Dear Mr. President

As ambassador, when government officials visited Mexico, I'd pen a one-pager offering current insight into the bilateral relationship and timely assessments of the economic, political and social situation in the country.

With President Barack Obama's visit April 16-17 to Mexico City, I offer him a similar memo, with advice I hope he's hearing from his own team of advisers.

And, so I begin, Mister President:

U.S. and Mexico relations are at a pivotal point, and in spite of the challenges our countries face from economic and security threats, we must look for ways to forge stronger partnerships and encourage investment by U.S. and Mexican companies in both countries.

The failed state talk that so dominated our headlines these past few months has subsided somewhat, and—I hope—will continue to fade. It was rhetoric that did more to harm our two nations than produce meaningful progress.

As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saw firsthand, Mexico is far from finished in its fight against the transnational drug cartels, but there are clear signs of progress and far more awareness in the United States of our own responsibility to reduce consumption and stop the flow of arms to Mexico.

In President Felipe Calderon's first two years in office, the Mexican government has arrested more criminals and seized more weapons, drugs and cash than the previous two administrations over the same period.

Make no mistake, the country is not as safe as it needs to be, but unfair comparisons have been made and substantial progress overlooked. While tragic, drug war fatalities are concentrated largely in areas where cartels war over territory, but the country's homicide rate remains 13 percent below 1997 statistics, and far lower than many other countries in the region.

Our nations are inextricably tied to one another, and we must not only understand this fact, but leverage it for our respective economies, our security and our people... Read the full perspective here.

Columnist profiles Garza's time as Ambassador

Nationally syndicated columnist Ruben Navarette, Jr. offered up perspective on Ambassador Garza's years of service and the present state of U.S./Mexico relations. Navarette writes, "It's not unusual for a U.S. ambassador to be a witness to history. But, as U.S. ambassador to Mexico the last six years, Tony Garza was able to witness - and, some say, help bring about - nothing less than a historic shift in U.S.-Mexico relations." Read the April 12 column here.

Garza interviewed by Texas Monthly's Evan Smith

Texas Monthly's May issue will feature a Q&A with former U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza. Characterizing the relationship of the United States and Mexico at the end of his service, Garza says, "We had to deal with some difficult issues, and we managed to be more respectful and more mature-we embraced the notion of shared responsibility." Read an online preview here.