Politics

Trudeau, Pena Nieto talk North American trade and jobs in phone call

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a phone conversation Monday with his Mexican counterpart in which they discussed trade, job creation and competitiveness in North America, the Prime Minister's Office said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto clasp hands at a news conference on Parliament Hill last June. The two leaders spoke by phone on Monday. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has had a phone conversation with his Mexican counterpart in which they discussed trade, job creation and competitiveness in North America.

The Prime Minister's Office says Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto look forward to continuing their "regular discussions" on those matters.

Their conversation comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he plans to re-negotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement that involves the three countries.

It also comes after Pena Nieto abruptly cancelled a planned visit to Washington this week following Trump's insistence that Mexico would pay for his proposed border wall perhaps through a tax on imports from Mexico.

The statement from Trudeau's office calls North America "one of the most successful economic regions in the world."

It also says Pena Nieto expressed his condolences over the recent attack on a mosque in Quebec City that killed six men and injured 19, indicating that Mexico stood in solidarity with Canadians.

It says the two leaders also reaffirmed that religious tolerance, diversity and pluralism are values shared by both their countries.

Trudeau and Pena Nieto spoke on Monday.