SAN ANTONIO — Declaring that the economic, cultural, and social ties between the United States and Mexico operate under an inescapable “force of gravity,” Mexico’s Ambassador to the United States Roberto Lazzeri Montaño praised current bilateral cooperation as having reached its highest point in history.
Speaking to business leaders, public policy experts, and financial officials gathered at the 2026 North American Development Bank (NADBank) Summit in San Antonio, Lazzeri emphasized that under the leadership of President Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico is guiding its diplomatic and commercial agenda with firm adherence to national sovereignty while actively forging pragmatic, common solutions to shared transboundary challenges.
“Before my confirmation hearing in the Senate, I said that Mexico and the U.S. were at the highest point of cooperation in their relationship,” Lazzeri told the summit audience. “That was probably not well perceived at the time. But right now, we’re seeing those results, and I think no one can doubt the level of achievements and the level of cooperation that we have achieved in the last year are at the highest point ever.”
“We are tied by the hip. Our economies are interrelated, our communities are interrelated, our culture is mixed right now... Humans like to fly against gravity sometimes, but at the end, gravity prevails,” Lazzeri said.
Editor's Note: Here is a video recording Ambsaador Lazzeri's remarks at the 2026 NADBank Summit. After his remarks, Lazzeri sat down for an in-depth conversation with Jasper Jung, executive director of global strategic initiatives for global publicly policy at General Motors. This conversation is also included in the recording:
Addressing security and agricultural health, Lazzeri highlighted Mexico’s foundational doctrine of “shared but differentiated responsibility.” While some critics historically viewed the phrase as a limitation on bilateral action, the ambassador argued it serves as the most efficient operational framework for complementary solutions.
As a key example, Lazzeri pointed to the recent swift response to the resurgence of the New World screwworm, a destructive livestock parasite that posed a severe economic threat to Mexican farmers and American ranchers alike.
“The way that we’re dealing with that and the way forward is basically located as a shared and common responsibility,” Lazzeri noted, pointing to the rapid construction of a sterile fly production facility established in under six months to eradicate the pest.
“It’s the best of two worlds,” Lazzeri said. “We have the innovation of the United States, the innovation of the technicians that design these flies, and then with the Mexican workforce and the Mexican efficiency to create and build this plant in less than six months. That is how we deal with results.”
Following his opening remarks, Ambassador Lazzeri participated in an in-depth fireside conversation with Jasper Jung, Executive Director of Global Strategic Initiatives for Public Policy at General Motors. Lazzeri described Jung as a vital ally representing one of the premier bi-national corporations that “make the machinery of our commercial relationship work.”
Turning to macroeconomic issues, Lazzeri stressed that addressing social issues and border community challenges requires a commitment to “shared prosperity” delivered through expanded and optimized trade flows.
“Mexico is the most important partner of the United States, without a doubt,” Lazzeri asserted, encouraging policymakers to look beyond traditional trade deficits and place greater emphasis on bilateral trade in services.
With both nations recovering from historic declines in domestic manufacturing, Lazzeri noted that Washington and Mexico City have aligned on diagnosis and strategy. Looking toward future economic shifts driven by Artificial Intelligence, Lazzeri warned that AI could become a purely “extractive industry” unless cross-border productivity is integrated—positioning the service sector as a crucial driver of North America's next industrial revolution.
Addressing workforce mobility and cross-border human movement, Ambassador Lazzeri noted that “as water, people flow along our borders.” He urged both governments to establish legal, structured channels that recognize labor as a fundamental growth factor in economic modeling while ensuring prosperity reaches communities on both sides of the Rio Grande.
Concluding his address before sitting down with GM's Jung, Lazzeri reflected on the profound integration binding both nations together across every level of society.
“The actual relationship of the U.S. is driven by a force of gravity,” Lazzeri concluded. “And this force of gravity is that we are tied by the hip—our economies are interrelated, our communities are interrelated, our culture is mixed right now. So at this point, humans, we like to fly against gravity sometimes, but at the end, gravity prevails. And the goal of these two governments is going to be to find a way that gravity prevails, but we are also able to achieve prosperity for our communities.”
Editor's Note: The 2026 NADBank Summit brings together leaders from government, finance, and industry to address sustainable infrastructure, trade, and economic development along the U.S.-Mexico border region.
