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Puerto Vallarta News NetworkNews Around the Republic of Mexico 

Preparing to Meet Trump, EPN Seeks Common Ground

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January 25, 2017

"Mexico does not believe in walls," President Enrique Peņa Nieto said in Monday's address. "Our country believes in bridges." (Photo Credit: Ronaldo Schemidt/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images)

Mexico City - In his first major speech since the change of administrations in the United States, President Enrique Peņa Nieto promised a robust dialogue with President Trump based on shared interests and mutual respect, but insisted that Mexico's sovereignty - and the protection of its citizens - would be the guiding forces for his government.

The two leaders are preparing to meet next week, and Mr. Peņa Nieto's speech outlined a broad platform that Mexico hopes to pursue in the face of what many have seen as a hostile stance from the new American president.

Peņa Nieto stressed that any reassessment of the bilateral relationship or renegotiation of decades-old accords, including the North American Free Trade Agreement, would be part of a broader package. Negotiations would include more than just trade, he said; they would also encompass migration and security, two issues where Mexico plays a strategic role for the United States.

"We will bring to the table all themes," Peņa Nieto said. "Trade, yes, but also migration and the themes of security, including border security, terrorist threats and the traffic of illegal drugs, arms and money."

The address was the most comprehensive explanation of Mexico's foreign policy aspirations in recent months. The government remained relatively quiet during Mr. Trump's political ascendancy, and even after his election, adopting a nonaggressive approach in the face of the fear and anxiety permeating the nation.

On Monday, President Peņa Nieto, while offering a fulsome defense of Mexico's sovereignty, maintained that engagement was the answer. "The solution is neither confrontation nor submission," he said. "The solution is dialogue and negotiation."

Read the full article at nytimes.com.