Peña Nieto a Trump in hour-long telephone call
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The United States and Mexico have moved to calm the waters as the row over a border wall threatens boil over and damage trade between the neighbours.
Self Portrait Along the Boarder Line Between Mexico and the United States (1932)
by Frida Kahlo#TRUMPWALL #Mexico pic.twitter.com/BH7FT9yDAm— Art + Artists (@Argy_Papa_) January 26, 2017
President Enrique Peña Nieto and President Trump spoke by phone for an hour.
Both camps said the conversation had been productive, but fundamental differences remain.
Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim called on both men to reach agreement as hostility serves no purpose:“I am not thinking of a catastrophe, I think in the movies. Trump is not the terminator, he is the negotiator. He’s a negotiator.”
Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim is backing President Nieto against threats from Trump: https://t.co/l44LWzln0u pic.twitter.com/bfDsaf3rEF
— Forbes (@Forbes) January 27, 2017
Mexico is the third largest global trader with the United States and trade war as a result of Trump’s wall will threaten both economies.
However, Trump continues to talk tough:
“As you know, Mexico with the United States has out-negotiated us and beat us to a pulp through our past leaders. They’ve made us look foolish. We have a trade deficit of $60 billion with Mexico.”
Outraged Mexicans back Peña Nieto's decision to scrap visit with 'bully' Trump https://t.co/WxbGOXkibG pic.twitter.com/Jq4DbgckQo
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) January 26, 2017
The Mexican president’s office said that both leaders
“agreed to solve these differences as part of an all-encompassing discussion of all aspects of the bilateral relationship.”