López Obrador celebrated that the T-MEC provides many opportunities for good neighborliness as the United States is the country with the most economic and commercial potential in the world. | Photo: Presidency Mexico

Mexico City, August 3 (RHC)-- The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, reiterated that what his country seeks, in the context of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Canada (T-MEC), is respect for sovereignty, particularly energy independence, after recent differences on the matter between its northern neighbors.

In this sense, the Mexican president ratified that his country does not intend to leave the T-MEC and therefore informed that he has already sent to his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, the communication he announced last week that he would send him.  It expresses the Mexican president's his surprise for the call for consultations as part of the agreement on Mexican energy policy.

According to the Mexican President, the United States assured that they must take care "that it is a good relationship, but [that] they do not treat us or allow us to be treated as a colony because Mexico is an independent, free, sovereign country."

And he added: "Simply put, Mexico is not for sale.  Mexico belongs to the Mexicans, to our generation and to those to come.  That has no price."

He said that, nevertheless, his government "will always seek a good neighborhood" and celebrated that the T-MEC offers many opportunities for the neighborhood and because it (the United States) is the country with the greatest economic and commercial potential in the world.

In the meantime, the Mexican president ruled out that Mexico could join the trade bloc with China, Russia, Brazil and India (BRICS); because, on the other hand, the relationship with North America is "very consolidated, (and) the only thing we are looking for is that our sovereignty is respected-"

"That this integration does not mean submission and fortunately President Biden has expressed this to me more than once, that the relationship has to be on an equal footing and respect for our sovereignty.  That is why I have even told him that unlike the phrase attributed to Porfirio Diaz, I maintain that: 'Blessed Mexico, so close to God and not so far from the United States.'"

According to the Mexican president, what has happened is that "a difference has arisen due to the interpretation of the United States and Canada of Mexico's energy sovereignty."  Last Thursday, the Mexican president said that his country did not accept to cede its sovereignty for the T-MEC, in the face of claims from Mexico and Canada for the reform of the Mexican energy policy to strengthen the public electricity company.

At that time, he said: "Even if it is the most important market in the world.  If having access to that market implies surrendering our sovereignty, we do not accept it.  We are not going to hand over our independence to any foreign government."