Trump, Lopez Obrador discuss immigration, trade during first call

MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexico’s next leader, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador discussed immigration, trade and security issues in a phone call yesterday, the two mavericks beginning a dialogue amid strained relations between the neighbours.

Lopez Obrador, a 64-year-old former mayor of Mexico City, won a landslide election victory on Sunday, dealing a crushing blow to establishment parties and becoming the first leftist to win the Mexican presidency since one-party rule ended in 2000.

Relations between Trump and Lopez Obrador will be closely watched because Trump has regularly criticized Mexico. In comments to reporters, Trump said he believed Lopez Obrador would help the United States secure its southern border.

“I think the relationship would be a very good one. We’ll see what happens, but I really do believe it’s going to be a very good one,” Trump said.

He said that in the phone call, they had touched on a possible trade deal between the United States and Mexico.

Shortly afterwards, Lopez Obrador gave his account of the call in a Twitter post, saying he had proposed a comprehensive deal to create jobs, lower immigration and improve security.

Reuters reported on the security plan, which Lopez Obrador sees as an alternative to Trump’s border wall, last month.

In his account, Lopez Obrador did not mention trade, and Trump gave no further details on a possible trade pact. Talks between the United States, Canada and Mexico to revise the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) have been difficult.

Lopez Obrador, a onetime NAFTA skeptic who moderated his views in his third run at the presidency, said in a Mexican TV interview yesterday that he wanted a NAFTA deal that was good for Mexico.