Mexico turns to U.S. to help sort out mail woes

updated 12:39 p.m. ET Aug. 15, 2007

MEXICO CITY - The Mexican government has signed an agreement with the U.S. Postal Service to improve Mexico’s notoriously inefficient mail agency.

Transportation Secretary Luis Tellez said the Mexican Postal Service has been neglected for years, while the USPS is “an example of modernity, efficiency and quality.”

Under the agreement signed Tuesday, Mexican staff will visit U.S. facilities to analyze procedures and equipment, and the two also will cooperate to improve cross-border services.

U.S. Chief Postal Inspector Alexander Lazaroff said at the signing event that the agreement will address security concerns in both countries.

Tellez told reporters the government plans to make significant investments in the modernization and automation of the postal service.

“A lot of letters get lost that our citizens send to their families from the U.S., sometimes with money, sometimes with some object of value,” he said.

“I can assure you that within two or three years, let’s say closer to three years, we’ll have a postal service we can be proud of.”

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