White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that U.S. President Joe Biden would not consider Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s expected request that the U.S. share its coronavirus vaccine supply with its neighbor to the south.
Biden and López Obrador are scheduled to meet virtually Monday afternoon for a summit that Psaki said will “reaffirm the enduring partnership between” the U.S. and Mexico, which is "based on mutual respect and the extraordinary bond of family and friendship."
But during the upcoming conversation between the two leaders, Psaki said Biden would reject his foreign counterpart if asked to contribute a portion of U.S. vaccine doses to Mexico - a solicitation López Obrador is reportedly likely to make.
"No. The president has made clear that he is focused on ensuring that vaccines are accessible to every American. That is our focus," Psaki told reporters at a White House press briefing.
"The next step is economic recovery. And that is ensuring that our neighbors, Mexico and Canada, have similarly managed the pandemic, so that we can open our borders and build back better," Politico cited her as saying.
For the time being, however, "the administration’s focus is on ensuring that every American is vaccinated," Psaki said. "And once we accomplish that objective, we’re happy to discus further steps beyond that."
