Mexico's Foreign Minister meets with John McCain in Mexico City

Mexico's Foreign Affairs Minister, Claudia Ruiz Massieu, met with Republican senator from Arizona, John McCain, who's currently on a working visit to Mexico City to discuss topics of shared interest between Mexico and Arizona. John McCain has represented his state in the U.S. Senate for nearly 30 years now.

In a press release, the Foreign Ministry reports that during the meeting, Ruiz Massieu emphasized the importance of the Mexico-U.S. relationship, and reiterated the Mexican government's willingness to work closely with the incoming U.S. president and Congress. They also discussed the U.S. senate's legislative agenda and role within the bilateral relationship.

The foreign ministry says that during the meeting the public officials exchanged their points of view regarding the future of the immigration debate in the U.S. and what that will mean for Mexico and the Mexican community that currently resides in that country. Also, they shared their opinions over the current state of the U.S.-Mexico border and the phenomenon of migration between the two regions. They agreed that the border region is both an area of opportunity and competitiveness and that both countries should continue working on regional matters with a shared-responsibility approach.

Ruiz Massieu and McCain acknowledged the value of business between both countries, as well as the importance of commercial integration as a tool for economic growth and societal prosperity in both countries. U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Roberta Jacobson, was also present at the meeting.

In 2015, trade between Mexico and the United States surpassed 531 billion dollars. 85% of this trade is via land, and nearly 1 million people and nearly half a million vehicles cross the border legally on a daily basis. Also, 2 million people of Mexican origin currently live in Arizona, or 30.7% of the state's population. Lastly, Mexico is Arizona's largest trade partner.