U. S-Mexico Energy Differences
2022.04.01 00:37
U. S-Mexico Energy Differences
By Kristina Sobol
Budrigannews.com – In the midst of a dispute regarding Mexico’s efforts to change its energy laws, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated on Thursday that he would be attempting to reach agreements with the United States in advance of a meeting with U.S. climate envoy John Kerry.
Prior to his scheduled talks with Kerry on Thursday, who is in Mexico City with a group of executives from the U.S. energy sector, Lopez Obrador stated at a regular news conference, “I hope it’s going to be a very good meeting because we’re going to seek agreements.” Kerry is currently in Mexico City.
The president continued, “We’re not taking an intransigent position; we want to have good relations with the government of the United States and with entrepreneurs from the United States.”
Lopez Obrador said he would explain why his government was pushing legislation to strengthen the country’s state-run energy companies. He also said that the conflict in Ukraine demonstrated the advantages of having control over one’s own energy resources.
The president stated, “The state cannot fail to comply with its social responsibility.”
However, many of Mexico’s long-standing diplomatic allies have expressed concern about the actions taken to support the national power company, the Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE), and the state oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), at the expense of private businesses.
For the second time in two months, Kerry is coming to visit. He stated that he had urged Lopez Obrador to ensure that his plan to increase state control over the power market does not violate the USMCA trade pact last month.
According to Lopez Obrador, contracts would be honored if businesses in Mexico had permission to operate. He briefly gave the impression of suggesting that they might have to operate under new conditions if his reforms were approved, but he wasn’t specific.
