Mexico seeks US dialogue, new trading partners

By Nancy Caouette

MEXICO CITY (AA) – President Enrique Pena Nieto on Monday outlined a new foreign policy plan that would redefine the country’s relationship with the U.S. and to seek new trade partnerships with other countries after Washington withdrew from a multinational trade deal.

“It's clear that the U.S. has a new vision for its foreign policy which obliges Mexico to take action to defend its national interest,” he said during a news conference at the president’s official residence in Los Pinos.

U.S. President Donald President Trump said Sunday he would soon begin renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, with Canada and Mexico.

Pena Nieto said Mexico would renegotiate relations with the U.S. with “no confrontation nor submission”, adding that “the solution is dialogue and negotiation”.

He said he is willing to discuss trade, security and illegal immigration with Trump but stressed that he would defend Mexico’s national interests.

“Mexico does not believe in the walls. We want to work with the US government for a border that unites us and not divides us,” he said in reference to Trump’s campaign promise to build a wall along the U.S-Mexico border to keep out undocumented immigrants.

Trump has also threatened to prevent Mexicans in the U.S, from sending remittances back to Mexico.

The Mexican president listed 10 items Mexico would defend during talks with Trump, including respect for the rights and dignity of Mexicans living in the U.S., safeguarding the free flow of remittances and the ending illegal shipments of arms and money from the U.S. to Mexico.

The new American president on Monday withdrew the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a 12-nation trade pact that was negotiated by his predecessor, Barack Obama.

In response, Pena Nieto said Mexico, which is part of the TPP, would “immediately seek” to negotiate new bilateral deals with other TPP members, Latin American countries and Europe to “diversify” Mexico’s trade relations.

"Mexico is in a privileged position between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. It is a natural bridge for trade with other regions," he said, adding the country was “ready to begin negotiations with Britain” when it formally leaves the European Union.

Trump and Pena Nieto are scheduled to meet Jan. 31 in Washington.