Quick Treaty Yes … but Between the Three: Mexico and Canada

A day after US President Donald Trump warned that if the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations did not go quickly, he would take a "different path" ", the governments of Mexico and Canada agreed that while it is necessary to reach a short-term agreement, the agreement should maintain its essence" tripartite ".

In separate meetings with Canadian Chancellor Chrystia Freeland, President Enrique Peña Nieto and elected Virtual President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, spoke to reach an agreement as soon as possible involving Mexico, the United States and Canada, despite Trump's attempts to divide the agreement into bilateral pacts.

The Canadian delegation, led by Freeland, met Peña Nieto at the Los Pinos Official Residence; There, the president stressed the importance of continuing to work on a "constructive and comprehensive" renegotiation of NAFTA, "with the aim of concluding in the short term."

At the meeting, which was also attended by Canadian Diversification Ministers James Carr, Director of International Trade, and William Morneau, Director General of Finance, expressed their interest in "promoting a high-level dialogue" on common questions until the end of his term

Freeland thanked Peña Nieto on Twitter "Strengthening Relations Between Canada and Mexico" and explained that during the meeting they discussed how the two countries "can continue to work together to bring prosperity and security to North America. "

joins the Canadian government in accelerating a new tripartite treaty, as does the team of virtual president-elect, Andrés Ma Nuel López Obrador, who in a private meeting with Freeland agreed that the outcome should involve all three country.

López Obrador arrived at his halfway house in the Roma neighborhood near noon to receive the Chancellor of Canada, who thanked him, through his social networks, for the attention he received.

After the two-hour meeting with the official, the next head of the Foreign Ministry, Marcelo Ebrard, said: "We agree that, as López Obrador has already said, the strategy is that the treaty can go forward by involving the three countries. "

With regard to the warning of the President of the United States, take another path if the treaty does not involve the three countries. do not advance quickly. Capitalist recalled that on Thursday the NAFTA negotiations resume, so "there is nothing faster than tomorrow and we hope it will be a good meeting."

Ebrard said that the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Canada agreed that it is very important to reach an agreement in the treaty, "but there are other issues equally important in the relations between the two countries. "

A REGION

Before meeting Peña Nieto, Freeland held a meeting with his Mexican counterpart, Luis Videgaray, and with the Secretary of the Economy Ildefonso Guajardo, who also closed the ranks for speed up the NAFTA negotiations, but with a result that involves Mexico, the United States and Canada "We had a bilateral conversation between Mexico and Canada, because we will hold a bilateral meeting with the States Tomorrow, but the process retains its essence and its trilateral nature, "he said. Videgaray

At a press conference, he stated that he was convinced that "there is a great opportunity, we are faced with a situation that will have to determine whether the North US capitalizes on its potential to become the most competitive region in the world in the next decades and for that we must act as such, as a unique region. "

Chancellor said that with Canada "Not only do we share a friendship, but also common principles and goals," he reiterated that he was ready to take advantage of the challenges and opportunities that arise in this process, for which negotiation will be strengthened. Meanwhile, Freeland said that although many "dramatic moments" will come in the process of renegotiation, which resumes after the presidential election in Mexico, they can be overcome with common sense and common sense.

"I am very confident that common sense, economic rationality, and the pursuit of economic profit prevail for the three countries; I like the optimism of our Mexican counterparts because we are going to seek the progress of NAFTA and reach it as soon as possible. "

The Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that Canada would defend the concept of a trilateral treaty. The Minister of the Economy confirmed in his speech the commitment of Mexico in a constructive negotiation aimed at quickly concluding the NAFTA negotiations as a fundamental strategy to reverse the current trend. the uncertainty of the markets.

Guajardo explains that 11 months after the start of the update process, two-thirds of the agreement are almost complete; However, he acknowledged that they have a challenge to overcome in the coming days.

Although the teams of the three nations have bilateral meetings as yesterday, Guajardo pointed out that this is only a method of negotiation, but that the essence of this

There also predicted that there would be "a few months" of renegotiation, as they "try to move forward constructively" before the US congressional elections next November.

EU TRAVEL DELEGATION

Yesterday, Luis Videgaray and Ildefonso Guajardo, accompanied by Jesús Seade Kuri, appointed by López Obrador as future chief negotiator of the agreement commercial, traveled to Washington to meet with their government counterparts. The EU as part of the renegotiation process of NAFTA.