Mexico Contradicts Trump on Europe Travel, Not Halting Flights

(Bloomberg) -- Mexico’s foreign minister said the country won’t yet suspend flights from Europe, contradicting U.S. President Donald Trump, but it will restrict land travel across its northern border.

Trump said in a news conference earlier Friday that Mexico had taken action to secure the border and suspend air travel from Europe. At his own news conference hours later, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard disputed that point.

Non-essential ground travel between the two countries is prohibited under the terms of the new U.S.-Mexico agreement. But Ebrard said that no decision has been made on European travel.

“We’re not going to suspend any flight,” Ebrard told reporters. “Perhaps what President Trump wanted to say is that the U.S. and Mexico are already taking action, or are advancing toward having a policy in common on travel or access of people to our countries.”

Ebrard said the decision to halt ground travel was made to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, and that steps must be taken to address economic effects resulting from reduced mobility along the border.

The White House and State Department declined to elaborate on Trump’s remarks.

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