Joint Statement by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly on Bilateral Discussions in Mexico City

U.S. State Department

(Transcript)

 We just concluded a very productive set of meetings with our counterparts Secretary of Government Miguel Angel Osorio Chong; Secretary of Foreign Relations Luis Videgaray Caso; Secretary of National Defense General Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda; Secretary of the Navy Admiral Vidal Francisco Soberon Sanz; Secretary of Finance and Public Credit Jose Antonio Meade Kuribrena; and Attorney General Raul Cervantes Andrade.

During the course of our meetings, we discussed the breadth of challenges and opportunities in the U.S.-Mexico relationship. Although our two nations share a long history, our visit was forward-looking, focusing on common interests that would advance security and economic well-being.

In our meetings, we jointly acknowledged that, in a relationship filled with vibrant colors, two strong sovereign countries from time to time will have differences. We listened closely and carefully to each other as we respectfully and patiently raised our respective concerns.

Our conversations covered the full range of bilateral issues. We reaffirmed our close cooperation on economic and commercial issues such as energy, legal migration, security, education exchanges, and people-to-people ties. We agreed that our two countries should seize the opportunity to modernize and strengthen our trade and energy relationship.

We also reiterated our joint commitment to maintain law and order along our shared border by stopping potential terrorists, and dismantling the transnational criminal networks moving drugs and people into the United States. Similarly, we underscored the importance of stopping the illegal firearms and bulk cash that is originating in the United States and flowing into Mexico. There is no mistaking that the rule of law matters along both sides of our shared border.

We recognized the existing U.S.-Mexican cooperation to curtail irregular migration, both by securing Mexico’s southern border and by supporting efforts of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador – through the Alliance for Prosperity and working with organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank – to reduce violence and stimulate economic opportunity in the region.

Finally, we universally agreed on the importance of strengthening existing institutional mechanisms. The meetings were the continuation of a purposeful and productive exchange that is setting our two countries down a pathway to greater security and long-term prosperity.

We both look forward to our meeting with President Enrique Peña Nieto.

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U.S. State Department, Feb. 23, 2017