MEXICO CITY, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Mexican Minister of Finance Jose Antonio Meade said Thursday that Mexico, the United States and Canada, which are renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), agree to deepen integration in financial services.
When the first round of negotiations started in Washington on Wednesday, representatives noted "a shared willingness to improve integration" in financial services, Meade told reporters at a public event in central Mexico.
"We hope the three countries can outline positions and begin to move them closer to each other in the coming weeks," Meade said, adding that no documents on the matter had been exchanged yet.
The Finance Ministry said Deputy Finance Minister Vanessa Rubio presided over the initial sessions of the financial services group, along with representatives from the United States and Canada.
Participants agreed that the financial services sector needed clear and transparent regulations that strengthen competitive markets.
The initial round of NAFTA talks is to continue through Sunday.
A second round of talks is to take place in Mexico in early September, with negotiations expected to continue through the end of the year.
