Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has named the man behind his controversial meeting with Donald Trump last August to a new position as Foreign Minister, as the country readies to deal with the new U.S. President.
Luis Videgaray, who was forced to resign from his post as Finance Minister after Trump’s trip to Mexico, was named Foreign Relations Minister on Wednesday, according to the Guardian.
“With the change of government in the United States on Jan. 20, the instructions for Secretary Videgaray is to accelerate dialogue and contacts so that from the first day the bases for building a constructive relationship can be established,” Peña Nieto said during a press conference. “It should be a relationship, which will allow us to strengthen bilateral ties in security, immigration, commerce and investment.”
The meeting between Peña Nieto and Trump was widely viewed as negative by people in Mexico following the President-elect’s vows to build a wall along the country’s border and nix trade deals with Mexico. Videgaray reportedly urged the meeting.
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Write to Mahita Gajanan at mahita.gajanan@time.com