currently Canada).



Arturo Sarukhan, the Mexican ambassador to the United States, said the ceremony comes as Mexico seeks to “deepen and widen our relationship with a vibrant, diverse and plural America.”



The ceremony included the signing of a sister-city agreement between Little Rock and Pachuca, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo. On hand to sign the deal was Omar Fayad, that city’s mayor, and Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola.



“To be a great city, you’ve got to recognize that there’s certainly an international context,” Stodola said in an interview. “Having a consulate here recognizes that the world is getting much, much smaller, that we have very strong ties with the country of Mexico, and this will only create stronger ties.”



“I hope that as the result of the establishment of this consulate here, that Mexico will be competing with Canada to be the No. 1 trading partner with the state of Arkansas,” Halter said. “This will lead to tremendous opportunities for us to export our agricultural products and manufacturing products.”



Joel Anderson, chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, said “a consulate is government at its best,” Anderson added, “it is government helping citizens directly.”