Blinken discusses trade, migration with Mexican counterpart

High US diplomat Antony Blinken travels to Mexico Metropolis for high-level financial talks with Mexican authorities officers.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has mentioned “problems with mutual curiosity” together with his Mexican counterpart, together with drug trafficking, migration and commerce, as prime officers from the 2 nations met for high-level financial talks in Mexico Metropolis.

The US State Division mentioned in a press release on Monday that Blinken famous “his continued appreciation for collaboration with Mexico” in his discussions with Mexico’s International Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

“In addition they mentioned regional efforts to help the folks of Haiti as effectively Mexico and america’s continued cooperation to create a more practical United Nations,” US State Division Spokesperson Ned Worth mentioned within the assertion.

Blinken was joined by US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and different Biden administration officers on the journey to the Mexican capital for this 12 months’s US-Mexico Excessive-Degree Financial Dialogue.

“Final 12 months, our two presidents agreed to relaunch the high-level financial dialogue. They recognised collectively {that a} robust US-Mexico relationship was very important,” Blinken mentioned in the course of the talks.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador struck a conciliatory observe earlier within the day on a significant dispute with the US over Mexican power coverage, saying Washington had adopted a extra respectful angle in direction of his place.

In July, the US commerce consultant demanded dispute settlement talks with Mexico, arguing Lopez Obrador’s drive to tighten state management of the power market was unfair to US firms and sure in breach of a regional commerce deal.

Lopez Obrador, who has forged his power coverage as a matter of nationwide sovereignty, on the time responded defiantly, saying he would defend Mexico’s place at an independence day army parade happening this coming Friday.

Nonetheless, on Monday he mentioned he would now not discuss with the power dispute throughout his Friday speech as a result of US President Joe Biden had responded to his issues positively.

“There’s a special tone. There’s a respectful angle. Moderately, it’s a reaffirmation of respect for our nationwide sovereignty,” Lopez Obrador advised an everyday information convention, referring to a letter he mentioned he obtained from Biden.

Translation: I had the pleasure of welcoming Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. Welcome!

The US power criticism, which Canada instantly joined, is arguably probably the most important dispute to floor underneath the United States-Mexico-Canada Settlement (USMCA) because the North American commerce deal got here into impact in 2020.

If unresolved, it might result in the imposition of hefty commerce tariffs towards Mexico, analysts say.

Ebrard, the Mexican overseas minister, mentioned Monday’s talks had been very productive and that Mexico had been invited to take part in a US push to strengthen semiconductor output and electromobility in North America.

Ebrard added that the power dispute was not the focus of Monday’s agenda and that it had taken up “not more than 5 p.c” of the dialog within the presidential palace.

Washington is more and more trying to the Mexican authorities to assist deal with the rising variety of refugees and migrants arriving on the US-Mexico border.

However ties between the 2 nations have been examined in latest months after Lopez Obrador snubbed Biden by refusing to take part within the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles on the grounds that Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua had not been invited.

That prompted the US president to ask his Mexican counterpart to go to the White Home in July to restore relations.