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MEXICO CITY, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Mexico will seek to deepen cooperation with the U.S. in a number of areas, including trade and energy, announced the Minister of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo on Friday.
During a joint press conference in Washington with U.S. Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, Guajardo stated that the two countries share "an important, strong and complex" relationship.
He added that Mexico is keen to deepen bilateral cooperation in energy, trade and investment as well as helping to strengthen micro, small and medium enterprises.
The official statement saw Guajardo thank Ross' commitment and interest in "working hand-in-hand with Mexico."
"The new global economy presents challenges and opportunities for North America, which Mexico and the U.S. can better face together," said the minister.
"Mexico is open to maintaining constructive dialogue, to find mechanisms to increase North America's competitiveness, to strengthen value chains, and to modernize the areas which regulate commercial ties between Mexico and the U.S.," pointed out Guajardo.
Guajardo's meeting with Ross comes at a time of high tensions between the two countries with President Donald Trump determined to build a border wall, as well as possibly slapping high tariffs on Mexican exports and renegotiating NAFTA.
At the end of January, Trump invited Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto to meet in Washington but the Mexican leader later cancelled the trip, stating that such a meeting was pointless without due respect for "national sovereignty...and the ties of friendship and cooperation between the two people."
Later phone conversations between the two presidents led to an agreement to let senior government officials from both sides meet first.
