President López Obrador will meet with his United States counterpart on July 8 and 9 in Washington, D.C., Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard announced on Wednesday.
The meeting with President Donald Trump will mark López Obrador’s first trip abroad since assuming the presidency in 2018.
“I can confirm that we have received an invitation from the U.S. government for an official work visit on July 8 and 9,” said Ebrard, who will accompany the president. Mexico’s ambassador to the U.S., Martha Bárcena, the economy minister and the president’s chief of staff will also participate.
The president and his entourage will fly on a commercial airline to attend.
On July 8, discussion will be focused on bilateral Mexico-U.S. issues, whereas on the following day the agenda will be trilateral and related to the entry in force on Wednesday of the new trade treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada.
It is unknown if Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be in attendance. If he does travel to Washington, Trudeau would face a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon his return to Canada. López Obrador stated it would be “somewhat better” if Trudeau could join them for the meeting.
Ebrard stressed that the meeting is an attempt to fortify investments and trade between the three countries under the terms of the new treaty.
“A very important message for each of us is that today not only does a treaty enter into force, but we also started a very relevant climate in Mexico for investment, employment and economic growth,” he stated at a press conference on Wednesday.
López Obrador has been criticized for traveling to the U.S. in the midst of a presidential election campaign.
On Monday, he defended his decision to meet with Trump. “I don’t have a bad conscience to travel to the U.S.,” he said. “I am not a sellout. You can have a good relationship with the U.S., a neighboring country, maintaining decorum, our dignity, our independence and our sovereignty.”
Source: El Financiero (sp), Bloomberg (en), Global News (en)
