- The two sides continued the dialogue begun in Mexico in December on greater collaboration to address regional migration, by addressing together the root causes of migration, promoting development and opening more pathways for mobility.
Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena Ibarra today led a delegation of senior Mexican officials at a meeting with their counterparts in Washington, D.C. to continue the dialogue begun last December with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Foreign Secretary Bárcena began the meeting by conveying the fraternal greetings of President López Obrador. She reaffirmed Mexico's commitment to addressing the root causes of migration and promoting regular migration. She expressed appreciation for the joint work done with the U.S. to address the issue for the benefit of our peoples, and stressed the importance of working with other countries in the region to make migration safe, regular, orderly and, above all, humane.
Regarding collaboration with the rest of the hemisphere, Mexico highlighted the country’s great effort to address the root causes of migration, in particular, the development program in which USD 180 million will be invested in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti.
Mexico and the United States agreed to carry out a joint visit to Darien, together with Panama, to understand the issue of migration in that region. In addition, they will seek a meeting with the new foreign minister of Guatemala to explore the best ways to strengthen our cooperation.
The Mexican delegation also emphasized the importance of cooperating to combat the illegal trafficking of arms and people.
Mexico discussed the important work done for the Mexican communities in the United States, and how our strong consular network in the U.S. has been reinforced. Mexico reiterated its strong opposition to the measures being taken by the governor of Texas on the border that have fatal consequences for migrants. The Mexican delegation also highlighted the agreed collaboration for the modernization of the Otay II border crossing, and the need to continue the work there to ensure that it becomes operational as soon as possible.
In addition to Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena, Mexico was represented by Defense Secretary Gen. Luis Cresencio Sandoval González; Navy Secretary Adm. José Rafael Ojeda Durán; Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez; Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Esteban Moctezuma Barragán; National Migration Institute Commissioner Francisco Garduño Yañez; Félix Arturo Medina Padilla, Undersecretary of Human Rights, Population and Migration at the Interior Ministry; Chief Officer for North America Roberto Velasco Álvarez; Legal Advisor Alejandro Celorio; and Martín Borrego Llorente, Chief of Staff to the Foreign Secretary.
The U.S. delegation included Secretary of State Antony Blinken; Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas; Presidential Advisor for Homeland Security Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall; Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco; Isobel Coleman, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development; Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma; U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar; Troy Miller, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Deputy Homeland Security Advisor Jennifer Daskal; and Margaret Spears, Deputy Assistant Administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The two delegations agreed to hold another meeting next February to continue the high-level dialogue.
