Blinken held talks in Mexico on migration issues

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to restore relations between the two neighboring countries, which have soured over immigration and other problems.

“We discussed joint efforts to address illegal migration in the Americas, including through humane border control policies and expanding legal avenues,” Blinken said at a news conference.

“We turned our attention to the root causes of migration – it’s something that Mexico and the U.S. are cooperating on like never before,” Blinken added in the presence of high-ranking Mexican officials.

Traveling to Mexico City for high-level economic talks, the head of U.S. diplomacy was accompanied by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jamie White.

Mexico has consistently ranked among the top three U.S. trading partners. Before the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the country was the second-largest U.S. export market.