"Productive and frank dialogue" underscored in first Mexico-U.S. press meeting

Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videragay opened the press conference that followed today’s meeting with top U.S. aides in Mexico City.

Videgaray noted the coincidences that resulted from a “frank and clear dialogue between both countries”, while saying that several topics of the original agenda had been addressed: “We understand that this is part of a process, a long one for that matter, and one which won’t be easy, but we are confident that we are headed in the right direction.”

He also informed that further top level work meetings of the kind will be held “uninterruptedly and jointly” for the following months focusing on a comprehensive approach that defines both Mexico and the U.S. as the core axis for an open dialogue of immigration, security and trade. Videgaray noted that the later was not specifically discussed in this first official work meeting.

He added that Mexico has voiced “its concern for the respect of the Human Rights of Illegal Immigrants in the U.S.”, as well as the legal impossibility of “one governments unilateral decisions affecting the other.” Videgaray said that “Mexico has become a country of transit for illegal immigration coming from Central America” and that a shared regional leadership with the U.S. Canada and the Northern Triangle Central American countries is required to tackle the root causes of migratory issues.

For his part, U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, expressed “how delighted he was to be in Mexico City” and how “Mexico has been a very close neighbor” as well as the affection he has for Mexican people.

Together with Videgaray he acknowleged how the meetings held since his arrival yesterday evening had been “very productive” and had allowed for “comprehensive discussion of issues of great importance between our two countries”.

Tillerson was accompanied by the Head of Homeland Security Department, John Kelly, and met with Mexican Minister of Interior, Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong, Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, Minister of Defense, General Salvador Cienfuegos, and Minister of Finance and Public Credit, José Antonio Meade, to set forth the challenges faced by both countries. Tillerson insisted that the meetings aimed to consolidate the relations with Mexico and that they had “respectfully raised (their) concerns on bilateral issues, such as security cooperation, energy, illegal migration, educational exchanges and most importantly, people ties.”

Tillerson concluded by saying that both him and Kelly were “honored by the opportunity to meet with president Peña Nieto.”

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