Mexican Foreign Ninister Marcelo Ebrard met in Mexico City with U.S.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, National Security
Adviser Jake Sullivan and the National Security Council's senior
director for the Western Hemisphere, Juan Gonzalez.
"The delegations agreed to expand cooperation in order to manage
orderly, safe and regular migration flows with respect for the human
rights of migrants and asylum seekers," the Mexican foreign ministry
said in a statement following the meeting.
After the gathering, Ebrard said on Twitter that Mexico's
relationship with the United States was "going very well" and that
the meeting had been "productive."
At a news conference earlier in the day, Ebrard said the talks would
encompass efforts to reopen the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as
measures being put forward by the United States aimed at containing
immigration from Central America.
The talks came after Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador
spoke to U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday, discussing
migration, the fight against COVID-19 and the need to strengthen
Central American economies.
During their call, the United States agreed to send Mexico 3.5
million doses of drugmaker Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine and up to
5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, Ebrard said, noting that
the vaccines would likely arrive in August.
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Ebrard added that he did not expect the U.S.-Mexico land border to
reopen by Aug. 21, and that more time would be needed to resume
transit for so-called nonessential trips, including for those who
cross the border to work or attend school.
Speaking at the news conference, Lopez Obrador said that Harris
agreed with him on the need to reopen their shared land border, but
did not provide a specific timetable.
Ebrard said Lopez Obrador and Harris had also discussed plans to
revive, in early September, a forum for bilateral talks known as the
high-level economic dialogue, which is aimed at improving economic
integration and boosting growth.
When asked what such discussions could encompass, Ebrard noted that
North America was gearing up for technological changes, such as the
transition to electric cars, underlining the importance of companies
like Tesla Inc in the industry.
"Obviously we're interested in being a part of that," he said.
(Reporting by David Alire Garcia and Raul Cortes Fernandez in Mexico
CityEditing by Dave Graham, Matthew Lewis and Michael Perry)
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