Antony J. Blink, of New York, speaks at his hearing as Secretary of State for the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 19, 2021.
Graeme Jennings | Swimming pool | Reuters
In his first few hours at work, the country’s new secretary of state spoke to several of America’s closest allies.
Antony Blinken, confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday, spoke with his colleagues from Mexico, Canada, Japan and South Korea.
Blinken, a veteran diplomat, told lawmakers during his confirmation hearings last week that he would focus on working with America’s allies again in the wake of the Trump administration’s “ America First ” foreign policy. President Joe Biden is trying to restore the country’s relationship with his allies.
The country’s top diplomat spoke to Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and emphasized “our shared interest in security and economic integration, as well as our focus on an orderly and humane approach to migration,” said state spokesman Ned Price.
Mexico is the United States’ second largest trading partner and its second largest export market. Under the Trump administration, the US renegotiated the 24-year-old North American trade agreement into 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 his meeting with Canadian Secretary of State Marc Garneau, the two discussed how “to strengthen the wider North American partnership and address shared challenges, including COVID-19 and climate change, among many others,” the statement read. .
The US and Canada maintain a working relationship that includes defense regulations, enforcement of security standards and economic competitiveness, which trades $ 2 billion in goods and services every day.
Meanwhile, Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha “reaffirmed the enduring strength and importance of the US-ROK Alliance, the hub of peace, security and prosperity for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
South Korea donated more than 2 million masks and facilitated nearly 750,000 Covid-19 tests to the U.S. After Biden’s inauguration, the president of South Korea tweeted congratulations:
North Korea remains a major source of tension in the region. Biden said in a debate during the campaign that he will only meet with Kim Jong Un if the country downsizes its nuclear arsenal.
Blinken’s communication with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi followed a similar thread, emphasizing the need for free and open trade in the Indo-Pacific region.
Blinken was scheduled to hold his first State Department press briefing later Wednesday.