New York Daily News

¡Mi amigo! Now pay for the wall

- BY TERENCE CULLEN

PRESIDENT TRUMP — for the first time since taking office — met with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto Friday on the sidelines of the G20 conference in Hamburg, Germany.

Trump referred to Peña Nieto as his “friend”— but told reporters he “absolutely” still wants Mexico to pay for his proposed border wall.

Peña Nieto, appearing with Trump after the meeting, said he looked forward to a “flowing dialogue” between the nations.

Mexico has regularly scoffed at the notion of financing wall constructi­on — and aides for its president said Trump didn’t mention the wall during their 30-minute meeting, and the subject didn’t come up at all.

Speaking through a translator, Peña Nieto said he discussed jointly fighting the drug industry, trade agreements and immigratio­n issues with Trump.

Their meeting — the first time they’ve seen each other in nearly a year — comes as tensions are unusually high between the nations.

Peña Nieto (who chatted with the First Couple below) has had a confrontat­ional relationsh­ip with Trump, who has alleged that Mexico sends drugs and criminals over the U.S. border.

Peña Nieto has slammed Trump’s pledge that Mexico will pay for a massive border wall with the U.S. — estimates for which have been as high as $66 billion.

The North American leaders focused on renegotiat­ing NAFTA, talks for which are scheduled to start next month.

“We’re negotiatin­g NAFTA and some other things with Mexico, and we’ll see how it all turns out,” Trump told reporters. “But I think we’ve made very good progress.”

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