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The Mexico-U.S. relationship is closer and more fluid than it’s ever been, alleges the head of Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), Luis Videgaray, on Friday.
According to the minister, over the last year, the two governments have successfully collaborated on numerous issues which have served to strengthen bilateral relations on multiple levels.
"Regarding the administration of (Donald) Trump, I think the relationship is, in many ways, more fluid and closer than with previous administrations, which may be surprising for many people, but it is a fact," Videgaray said.
The foreign affairs chief compared Trump to former U.S. President Barack Obama, saying the current head of state works with “futuristic vision”.
“This is a list of opportunities, we are working closely and we are looking for results," the minister explained.
"With the Trump Government, we are committed to having a very close communication and that has proven to be a tremendous benefit for the relationship," he said during a joint press conference in Mexico with his Canadian counterpart, Chrystia Freeland, and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
The minister’s words were strangely optimistic, considering Trump’s plan to build a wall along the Mexican border remains in effect as well as terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA).
The latter, which was initiated during the Obama Administration, provides protection for thousands of undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children.
Negotiations involving the tri-nation North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) continue with Mexico and Canada fighting for trade rights, as Trump willfully remains detached from the process. On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau threatened he would walk away before accepting substandard revisions to the trade agreement.
Mexico has taken a slightly different approach, threatening to discontinue cooperative measures in the war on drugs and immigration restrictions if the United States decides to leave the negotiation table as Trump has alluded on numerous occasions.
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Minister Videgaray, however, has faced criticism of late, as media personnel question his “win-win-win” attitude with regards to NAFTA. Political columnist Salvador Garcia Soto asked what the foreign minister has given Trump in exchange for a continuation of negotiations.
Though he has denied it, an unconfirmed report alleged that the United States requested air marshal access to commercial flights between Mexico and the U.S. mainland as a NAFTA concession.
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