Harris holds talks with Mexican President

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During the Mexico visit, she said Washington aimed to boost economic development in the region….reports Asian Lite News

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday met Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and declared “we are embarking on a new era” in U.S.-Mexico relations, and with the world more broadly, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, Harris has faced pressure to visit the US-Mexico border, as she tries to tackle a record migration spike, the BBC reported.

Harris had a testy exchange with a journalist who asked why she had not gone to the US southern boundary, it was reported.

Meanwhile, Democratic party members also criticised her after she warned against illegal immigration.

During the Mexico visit, she said Washington aimed to boost economic development in the region.

She and Mexican President Obrador said it was in the interests of both countries to address the root causes of migration.

According to BBC, about 178,000 undocumented migrants arrived at the US southern border this April, the highest total in more than two decades.

Mwanwhile, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador celebrated the preliminary outcome of Sunday’s midterm elections, saying the results point to the continuity of his administration’s national project.

ALSO READ: Harris to target immigration in first foreign visit as VP

Addressing a press conference on Monday, the President hailed the historic elections, which had more than 20,000 public posts up for renewal, the largest number ever in Mexico,- and drew a record turnout despite the Covid-19 pandemic, reports Xinhua news agency.

Polling day saw “a degree of political maturity rarely seen” in an election, said Lopez Obrador.

Among the key posts up for election were 15 governorships and 500 federal deputy seats.

“Yesterday we took a very important step. It was a historic election. There have been few elections like yesterday’s, and I say that because yesterday’s elections were free and clean, unlike previous ones,” the President said.

The ruling progressive National Regeneration Movement (Morena) and its allied parties will enjoy a “majority” in the Chamber of Deputies, allowing for the continuity of his top priorities, including improving the lives of the poor and underprivileged, he said.

Lopez Obrador, who took office in 2018, stressed that attending to poverty helps cut crime, one of Mexico’s biggest problems.

ALSO READ: Don’t come to US, Harris tells Guatemalan migrants

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