OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is welcoming the election of Mexico’s next president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and pitching closer ties between the two counties as they ponder the future of North American relations.

Mexicans elected Sheinbaum as their first female president Sunday, and in October she will replace Andrés Manuel Lopéz Obrador.

The election comes three months after the Liberals reimposed a visa requirement for Mexican visitors over concerns that the 2016 lifting of the requirement led to a rise in ineligible refugee claims and human smuggling into the U.S.

The two countries will be part of the 2026 review of the trade deal that replaced NAFTA, as both U.S. President Joe Biden and his likely election opponent Donald Trump propose policies that would clamp down on trade.

Trudeau says he wants to work with Sheinbaum on climate change, international security, gender equality and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

Trudeau also aims to host the next North American Leaders’ Summit this year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2024.

The Canadian Press