MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The NAFTA agreement has been in force since 1994, uniting the markets of Canada, Mexico and United States.
"NAFTA is an agreement reached by three countries [US, Canada, Mexico] and that is beneficial for all these states… Mexico is ready to be engaged in the talks that could result in a well-balanced agreement… We will strive for a deal that will be beneficial for Mexico. It is important for us to end the talks this year, because of the forthcoming US congressional elections and Mexico's presidential vote. We have a mutual interest to reach a result as soon as possible, but Mexico will not sacrifice results for time," the ambassador said.
"The economies of the United States and Mexico are very interdependent. If anything has a negative impact on the Mexican economy then it also harms the United States and vice versa. We also would like to include other sectors [of the economy], such as e-commerce to the accord," she added.
During his presidential campaign and after winning the election, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the provisions of the agreement should be reviewed, adding that Washington could withdraw from the deal if it was not more beneficial for the United States.
The first stage of the negotiations between the three North American nations on the free trade agreement will start on Wednesday and will continue through Sunday.
