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Oct 29, 2009 12:55 pm US/Central
Pawlenty To Meet With Mexican President
RICHFIELD, Minn. (AP) ―
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The Republican governor leaves Sunday, Nov. 8., on what's being billed as a business development trip to Mexico, which he says is a growing trade partner with the state. (File)
CBS
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will meet privately with Mexican President Felipe Calderon in November during a quick trade trip south of the border.
Pawlenty is considered a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2012.
He has led trade missions to six countries, including China and Poland. He met with then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel and chatted with Israeli President Shimon Peres at a conference last December. He also has a trade mission planned to Brazil and Chile in December.
The two-term governor announced the trip to Mexico on Thursday at Best Buy's headquarters in Richfield, Minn. He said he is going at the invitation of Calderon and the Mexican government. The day-and-a-half trip will include mingling with business leaders at a reception at the U.S. deputy chief of mission's house and meeting with the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico.
Pawlenty said his focus will be promoting exports and encouraging Mexican investment in Minnesota. Mexico is the state's sixth largest trading partner.
"We've got a lot of momentum in terms of trade to Mexico and exports to Mexico, and we want to keep that going," Pawlenty said.
The meeting with Calderon is set for Nov. 9.
The state will pay for the trip using proceeds from previous trade missions. Pawlenty will travel with the head of the state trade office and a security detail. Others may join the trip at their own expense, he said.
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Pawlenty is seen as a potential 2012 presidential candidate.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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