Former Mexico president Fox visits Wichita

The former president of Mexico wrapped up a two-day visit to Wichita this week.

Vincente Fox visited area companies on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by an hourlong discussion Wednesday night with about 75 business and industry officials at the National Center for Aviation Training, according to a news release Thursday from Kansas Global Trade Services.

Present at the discussion were Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, Wichita Mayor Jeff Longwell and state Commerce Secretary Antonio Soave.

“The North American region is not divided by economic borders,” Fox said at the Wednesday night meeting, according to the release. “We can use the strengths of each nation to create economic opportunities for our people. This is the way America will be globally competitive.”

Brownback said in the release that Fox remains “a key figure in Mexico.”

“And now he is promoting trade between Kansas and Mexico,” Brownback said in the release. “We have a chance to take advantage of that for our benefit and theirs.”

Fox’s visit to Wichita was hosted by Patty Koehler, president of J.R. Custom Metal Products.

“These types of visits can open the doors of opportunity,” she said in the release. “It’s all about building relationships with the different industries. With the help of a leader of President Fox’s stature, we can continue to make progress.”

This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 11:22 AM with the headline "Former Mexico president Fox visits Wichita."