The White House confirmed a meeting between President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday in San Francisco.
The White House has officially announced a bilateral meeting between President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador scheduled for Friday in San Francisco.
The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, representing a crucial opportunity for the two leaders to delve deeper into key issues affecting the U.S.-Mexico relationship.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre explained in a statement that the meeting will provide a platform for discussions on ongoing efforts to strengthen U.S.-Mexico bilateral ties.
The focus will be primarily on addressing issues of shared interest, particularly the pressing issue of migration.
“The leaders will also discuss how we can continue to work together as partners to manage migration,” Jean-Pierre added, emphasizing the collaborative approach the two nations intend to take to address the complexities of migration.
President López Obrador, currently touring the northern state of Sonora, reiterated his commitment to address the regional migration phenomenon. He stressed the urgency of implementing an aid plan for Latin America, emphasizing that it could be decisive in preventing people from leaving their hometowns out of necessity.
During the APEC summit, López Obrador plans to present a proposal developed following the summit on migration held on October 22. The proposal, created in collaboration with several Latin American nations, rejects “coercive measures” and advocates for more legal alternatives for migration.
The Biden Administration, over the past year, has implemented several measures to address migration, including a humanitarian permit program for migrants from countries such as Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Nicaragua.
At the same time, the administration has taken steps to improve border security and regulate irregular border crossings.
This upcoming meeting will mark the fourth bilateral meeting between President Biden and President López Obrador. Despite the Mexican president’s infrequent international travel, the two leaders previously met in 2021 and 2022 in Washington, followed by a meeting in Mexico City last January.
The discussions are expected to play a key role in shaping U.S.-Mexico collaborative efforts in the critical areas of migration and bilateral relations.