New Delhi:
Mexico's president said on Thursday he was willing to offer an apology to the United States to reduce tensions amid the war of words over a border confrontation between US and Mexican troops. Earlier, Donald Trump renewed his threat Wednesday to send more troops to the U.S.-Mexico border following an incident in which Mexican soldiers confronted U.S. personnel. Mexico blamed the incident on confusion, and said it was not looking for confrontation with the U.S. In morning tweets, Trump said that, “Mexico’s Soldiers recently pulled guns on our National Guard Soldiers,” claiming, without evidence, that it was done “probably as a diversionary tactic for drug smugglers on the Border.” “Better not happen again!” he added.
Mexican President, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, "If necessary, the secretary of foreign affairs will send a note explaining how the facts occurred and, if there was an infraction; he will offer the apologies that are required," President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said in his daily news conference.
The leftist president was keen to emphasize that Mexico wanted to avoid "any kind of friction, confrontation," with the United States, it's main trading partner.
"We do not intend to violate, to affect, the sovereignty of the United States of America," he said.
Earlier this month, two U.S. soldiers in a remote area of Texas were confronted by Mexican soldiers who thought the Americans had crossed into Mexico.
The Mexican troops reportedly removed a weapon from one of the American soldiers.
U.S. Northern Command, which manages military support for Customs and Border Protection, said the Americans were in a CBP vehicle in a remote area of U.S. territory south of the border wall but north of the actual border.
“After a brief discussion between the soldiers from the two nations, the Mexican military members departed the area,” Northern Command said in a statement about the encounter.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador promised to investigate the incident at a Wednesday news conference.
“We are not going to fight with the government of the United States,” he said.
“The most important thing is that we want a relationship of mutual respect and cooperation for development.” Mexico’s foreign relations department characterized the incident as “routine” confusion in an area where the line separating the two countries is unclear.
