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Two Trump Cabinet Secretaries to Visit Mexico Next Week

In this Jan. 11, 2107 file photo, Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. said Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, that he will support Tillerson despite reservations about the former Exxon Mobil CEO as the Republican lawmaker backed away from any challenge to the new president. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

WASHINGTON – Mexico says U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly are headed to Mexico next week.

Mexico’s Foreign Relations Secretariat (SRE) says in a statement that the two Cabinet secretaries will be in Mexico City on Jan. 23 to meet with Mexican officials. The ministry says the talks aim to promote a respectful, close relationship between the U.S. and Mexico.

The United States has not yet confirmed the visits.

The trips come at a sensitive time for U.S.-Mexico relations. President Donald Trump is vowing to move quickly to build a border wall. A planned visit by Mexico’s leader to Washington was canceled after Mexico said it wouldn’t abide Trump’s demand that it fund the wall.

This will be Tillerson’s second official trip abroad. He’s visiting Germany this week.