- Title: Felled by Trump visit, Mexico's ex-finance minister named foreign minister
- Date: 4th January 2017
- Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (FILE) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PENA NIETO WALKING INTO ROOM WITH PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP TRUMP AND PENA NIETO SHAKING HANDS TRUMP AND PENA NIETO WALKING AWAY CAMERA PENA NIETO AND VIDEGARAY SHAKING HANDS AND HUGGING VIDEGARAY AND FINANCE MINISTER JOSE ANTONIO MEADE WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTERS MORE OF MEADE AND VIDEGARAY LEAVING ROOM AFTER NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 19th January 2017 22:37
- Keywords: Luis Videgaray foreign minister Donald Trump Enrique Pena Nieto minister
- Location: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- City: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0035XO2B1H
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Mexico's president on Wednesday (January 4) revived the career of his fallen former finance minister, appointing him foreign minister just four months after he was replaced in the wake of a controversial visit by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.
Luis Videgaray is one of President Enrique Pena Nieto's closest aides, but he was forced out in September a week after the Trump visit.
Pena Nieto was subjected to a wave of criticism for what many saw as a poorly handled invitation, given the real-estate magnate's anti-Mexico rhetoric.
Pena Nieto said on Wednesday that he had tasked Videgaray with accelerating contacts and dialogue with the incoming Trump administration.
"Before the change of government in the United States, next January 20, the instruction to minister Videgaray, is to accelerate the dialogue and contacts so that, from the first day of the new administration, we can establish the basis of a constructive working relationship," Pena Nieto said.
"It should be a relationship that allows us to strengthen bilateral ties in terms of security, migration, trade and investment. These objectives must be attained at all times, promoting the interests of Mexico and without losing our sovereignty and the dignity of the Mexicans," Pena Nieto added.
Senior diplomats have said that Videgaray was instrumental in arranging Trump's late-August visit, in which the government had hoped to impress upon him the need to moderate his tone and reconsider his more divisive campaign proposals.
But within hours of leaving Mexico, Trump was telling a cheering crowd of supporters in Arizona that Mexico would pay for the border wall "100 percent," prompting fresh ridicule of Pena Nieto at home.
Videgaray remained optimistic during a meeting with the foreign ministry team on Wednesday.
"I come to learn from you. I come to team up with you at a time when Mexico needs us all more than ever. The challenge is huge. The threats are there. But the opportunities and our strengths are also enormous," Videgaray said.
Trump has infuriated Mexicans by threatening to carry out mass deportations and rewrite trade treaties crucial to their economy, and by referring to some immigrants from the United States' southern neighbour as rapists or drug runners. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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