Rubio Congratulates Mexico's New Foreign Minister, Stresses Bilateral Cooperation in First Call

Just days after being appointed Mexico's new foreign minister, Roberto Velasco has begun the most important part of his new role, engaging in talks with the United States and the administration of President Donald Trump.

During an amicable phone call on April 9, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio talked with Velasco to congratulate him on his appointment and invite him to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and Mexico.

In a brief statement, the U.S. State Department said that during the call, Rubio also addressed measures to curb "mass" migration, secure the borders, and promote regional stability.

In a separate statement shared on social media, Mexico's Foreign Ministry said both officials discussed "priority issues" on the bilateral agenda. Rubio and Velasco acknowledged progress on security matters and also discussed how to deepen joint efforts between both countries.

Velasco was also recently congratulated by U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson, who wished him "the best of success" and invited him to work together to strengthen the relationship between both nations and advance cooperation promoted by both Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Velasco, 38, who previously served as undersecretary for North America, was approved by the Senate on April 8 as foreign minister, one week after Sheinbaum announced that Juan Ramón de la Fuente would step down due to health issues.

"Juan Ramón de la Fuente has asked me, for health reasons, to step down from the Foreign Ministry. We recently announced he had a back issue that requires very delicate rehabilitation," Sheinbaum said last week. She added that De la Fuente will continue assisting the federal government during and after his rehabilitation in a different role.

As noted by Infobae México, shortly after announcing De la Fuente's departure, Sheinbaum proposed Velasco to the Senate as his successor, highlighting his trajectory within the ministry.

Although new to the role, Velasco has experience working closely with U.S. officials. As reported by Animal Político, he has led multiple high-level bilateral and trilateral negotiations on security, migration, the economy, border issues and shared water management, among other areas.

Since June 2020, he has overseen diplomatic relations with the United States and Canada, serving as head of the North America Unit at the Foreign Ministry.

In October 2025, he was appointed by Sheinbaum as undersecretary for North America. From December of that year to early January 2026, he served as acting head of Mexico's Foreign Ministry after De la Fuente requested temporary leave for a surgical procedure.