CNN
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President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador met at the White House on Tuesday amid record migration in the hemisphere and high inflation that has affected both countries.
Biden sought to project unity between the two nations despite a recent snub from López Obrador, and said he considers Mexico an “equal partner” that has “close ties in family and friendship” to the US.
The two leaders have an at-times tense relationship that recently spilled into public view when López Obrador opted to skip the Summit of the Americas – a gathering hosted by the United States – citing the US decision not to invite Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela.
“This is a relationship that directly impacts the daily lives of our people and despite the overhyped headlines that we sometimes see, you and I have a strong and productive relationship and I would argue a partnership,” Biden said.
The President said a main focus of their meeting would be addressing migration, which he described as “a hemispheric challenge.” He said his administration has been working on creating work opportunities for migrants, including through granting more work visas.
López Obrador spoke for nearly 30 uninterrupted minutes and offered an exhaustive history of the relationship between the US and Mexico.
The Mexican President acknowledged “difficult times” and challenges the two nations are facing, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which he said “has not only constituted grief and destruction, but it made the economic crisis even worse.”
In what appeared to be a dig at high US gas prices, López Obrador said Americans living on the US side of the US-Mexico border have been crossing the border “to get their gasoline in on the Mexican side at lower prices.”
The Biden administration has wrestled with a growing number of migrant arrivals at the US-Mexico border following deteriorating conditions in Latin America exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Following the meeting, the US and Mexico plan to launch a bilateral working group on labor migration pathways and worker protections, and “expand our diplomatic coordination on migration issues throughout the region,” according to officials. Both countries have viewed labor pathways as a way to stem the flow of irregular migration.
The focus on Tuesday, officials said, is implementation of those efforts.
On Tuesday, the administration is also expected to announce joint actions to improve border infrastructure, like investing in ports of entry, enhance law enforcement cooperation to disrupt the distribution of fentanyl, and promote clean energy, economic innovation and prosperity, officials said.
“I think this is the chance for the two leaders to look each other in the eye and try to understand what they can actually accomplish in the relationship,” said Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute, a non-partisan think tank.
Despite López Obrador’s absence at the June Summit of the Americas, Mexico signed onto a declaration, along with other countries, to tackle migration in the Western Hemisphere. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that Biden and López Obrador would build on those commitments, among other issues.
“We expect the two leaders to discuss their common vision for North America, and common efforts to address global challenges including Russia’s war in Ukraine,” Sullivan told reporters.
Leading up to Tuesday’s meeting, López Obrador conceded migration is “central” to his discussions with Biden and has noted that Mexico has been “insisting on the support for Central America and also on increasing temporary…
Read More: Biden and Mexican President López Obrador discuss migration during White House meeting