Just a day after the Senate confirmed his nomination as Mexico’s top diplomat, new Foreign Relations Minister Roberto Velasco Álvarez tackled his most important task — managing U.S.-Mexico affairs.

After his first working telephone call on Thursday with his counterpart, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Velasco said the chat — which he termed “productive and cordial” — focused on the key bilateral issues of security and migration.

Velasco told reporters that he and Rubio would work “to respect the principles agreed upon by both countries.”

According to a U.S. State Department statement, “Secretary […] Rubio also addressed efforts to deter mass illegal immigration, secure our borders, and promote regional stability”.

Velasco acknowledged Rubio’s concerns, emphasizing “the importance of addressing the challenges of human mobility, while respecting the human rights of individuals.”

President Claudia ⁠Sheinbaum nominated Velasco last week ​after former Foreign Relations Minister Juan RamÓn ​de la Fuente stepped down in late March. The Senate approved his nomination on Wednesday in an 81-30 vote.

He takes over at a pivotal ​moment for regional trade as the three North American nations have begun ⁠​a joint review ​of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact.

Velasco will also have to tiptoe around the constant threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding military incursions into Mexico against drug cartels.

The treatment of Mexican migrants by U.S. authorities will also be a chief concern. On March 25, Velasco said Mexico will seek justice for the 13 Mexican nationals who have died while in the custody of U.S. immigration officials during the past 14 months.

The 38-year-old Mexico City native earned a master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago in 2017. While in Chicago, he was editor-in-chief of the Chicago Policy Review, a magazine published by students at the university’s Harris School of Public Policy, while also collaborating in the office of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Velasco returned to Mexico in 2018, joining Marcelo Ebrard’s staff when the current economy minister served as President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s Foreign Relations minister from 2018 to 2023.

Before rising to the top spot, the new foreign minister managed diplomatic relations with the United States and Canada, serving first as ​the head ​of ⁠the North American unit (2020-2025) before becoming undersecretary for North America last year.

With reports from La Jornada, El País and Infobae