Mexico to Difficult Negotiations with Trump's Government

Mexico, 25 (Prensa Latina) Mexico and the United States are starting talks today that could redefine key issues on the bilateral agenda, including the modification or conclusion of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The meetings of senior officials of the cabinets chaired by Enrique Peña Nieto and Donald Trump will take place in the United States, where Mexican emissaries have the task to negotiate in accordance with national rights, with dignity and without impositions.

Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray said on the eve of his trip to the United States that if NAFTA is modified, it must be under the principle of win-win for the countries that make up the agreement, therefore, something unfavorable for Mexico will not be accepted.

Videgaray mentioned the possibility of abandoning the treaty, in case the renegotiation of the US government is harmful to Mexico, although he made clear that this is not the premise, nor the preference of the federal government in the negotiations that will begin today.

'The times of Mexico are determined by Mexico. Nothing will be above the interests of Mexico and Mexicans,' the minister said.

'This first meeting aims to establish topics, procedures and times of dialogue, in addition to an eventual negotiation,' he added.

'Similarly- he said - its purpose is to prepare the working meeting held by Peña Nieto and Trump on January 31.'

He added that for Mexico, economic issues are only part of the bilateral agenda, which will include border, security, terrorism, drug trafficking and illegal arms trafficking.

By its part, the Treasury Secretary, Jose Antonio Meade, reported that Mexico has a solid support to negotiate a trade free of tariffs.

He emphasized that his country is the main commercial partner of 29 states of the American Union; the second buyer of the whole nation and with Texas, it maintains a commercial exchange that surpasses the one with any economy of Europe.