Mexico Reiterates Vow to Never Pay for Border Wall in Response to Trump's Tweet

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Mexico will under no circumstances pay for a wall or any other barrier on the border with the United States, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in response to US President Donald Trump who revisited the issue on his Twitter.

"As the Mexican government has always stated, our country will not pay, under any circumstances, for a wall or physical barrier built on US territory along the Mexican border. This statement is not part of a Mexican negotiating strategy, but rather a principle of national sovereignty and dignity," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Trump wrote on his Twitter that given Mexico's high crime rates, the border wall that would curb the inflow of migrants to the United States was necessary, adding that "Mexico will pay for it through reimbursement/other."

The Mexican Foreign Ministry also addressed the first part of the US president's statement, saying that "violence generated in Mexico by the illicit drugs, arms and money trafficking between our countries" was "a shared problem that will only end if its root causes are addressed: high demand for drugs in the United States and supply from Mexico (and other countries)."

Trump also wrote that the United States was in the process of renegotiating North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico and was considering terminating the deal altogether, to which Mexico replied that it would maintain "serious and constructive" approach to the renegotiation and would not be discussing NAFTA or any other aspect of the bilateral relationship "through social media or any other news platform."

The Mexican Foreign Ministry concluded the statement by expressing solidarity with the people and government of the United States facing the consequences of Hurricane Harvey, which caused significant damages in Texas.

A border wall on the territory of the United States, which Mexico would pay for, was one of the main issues that Trump promoted during his presidential campaign last year.