Antony J. Blinken, of New York, speaks during his confirmation hearing to be Secretary of State before the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 19, 2021.
Graeme Jennings | Pool | Reuters
In his first hours of work, the country’s new secretary of state spoke with several of America’s closest allies.
Antony Blinken, who was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday, spoke to his counterparts in Mexico, Canada, Japan and South Korea.
Blinken, a veteran diplomat, told lawmakers during his confirmation hearings last week that he would focus on re-engaging with America’s allies following the Trump administration’s “America First” foreign policy. President Joe Biden is trying to redefine the nation’s relationship with its allies.
The country’s top diplomat spoke with Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, emphasizing “our common interest in security and economic integration, as well as our focus on an orderly and humane approach to migration,” according to a statement from the State spokesman Ned Price.
Mexico is the second largest trading partner in the United States and the second largest export market. Under the Trump administration, the US renegotiated the 24-year North American Trade Agreement in what is now the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, which supports mutually beneficial trade leading to freer markets, fairer trade and robust economic growth in North America.
In their conversation with Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau, the two discussed how to “strengthen the broader American partnership and face shared challenges, including COVID-19 and climate change, among many others,” says the statement.
The United States and Canada maintain a working relationship that includes defense arrangements, supporting standards of security and economic competitiveness that generates $ 2 billion in goods and services traded each day.
Meanwhile, Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha “affirmed the lasting strength and importance of the US-ROK Alliance, the pillar of peace, security and prosperity for a free and open Indo-Pacific region. . “
South Korea donated more than 2 million masks and facilitated almost 750,000 Covid-19 tests to the United States. After Biden took office, the President of South Korea tweeted the congratulations:
North Korea remains an important source of tension in the region. Biden said in a debate during the campaign that he will only meet Kim Jong Un if the country reduces its nuclear arsenal.
Blinken’s communication with Japan’s foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, followed a similar line, highlighting the need for free and open trade in the Indo-Pacific region.
Blinken was due to hold his first State Department press conference on Wednesday.