Top US diplomat in Mexico for economic talks
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other top US officials visited Mexico for high-level economic talks, with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador striking a conciliatory tone despite trade tensions.
Washington in July filed a formal complaint against Mexico under a North American free trade agreement, saying its energy policies discriminated against US firms.
Lopez Obrador says the complaint is unjustified, but his government has pledged to work toward a solution.
Asked if he would discuss the energy dispute with Blinken, Lopez Obrador told reporters that there was no fixed agenda for their meeting, but that if the issue was raised, it would "be dealt with."
During a meeting with Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, Blinken voiced appreciation for collaboration on issues including "the shared threat of fentanyl production and trafficking, addressing migration in a safe, orderly, and humane manner... and advancing our shared economic interests," the State Department said.
The top US diplomat, accompanied by US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Deputy US Trade Representative Jayme White, was later due to co-chair the US-Mexico High-Level Economic Dialogue.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Mexico was the second-largest trading partner of the United States, behind China, with more than $675 billion in annual trade, according to US figures.
