AMNA NAWAZ: Talks slated for Monday to review the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, or USMCA, were postponed.

That's a deal that President Trump struck in his first term and threw out in his second.

While the trade war with Canada unfolds, Mexican leaders are taking a different approach, even as Trump had harsh words for America's southern neighbor this week.

I spoke earlier today with Mexico's foreign minister, Roberto Velasco Alvarez, who joined us from his New York mission.

Mr.

Secretary, welcome to the "PBS News Hour."

Thank you so much for joining us.

ROBERTO VELASCO ALVAREZ, Mexican Foreign Minister: Hello, and thank you for the invitation.

AMNA NAWAZ: So you and I are speaking as the United Nations General Assembly is coming to a close.

As you saw, that included some searing comments from President Trump about Mexico.

He called Mexico the epicenter of cartel violence.

What's your response to those remarks from President Trump?

ROBERTO VELASCO ALVAREZ: Well, what I can tell you is that in the past two years of the Sheinbaum administration, we have seen a decrease of over 50 percent of the homicide rate in Mexico.

All the different crimes that we have in the country are also in a downward trend.

So we're seeing excellent progress.

This is historic progress.

And it's the most important progress that we're seeing against crime in the whole region of Latin America.

AMNA NAWAZ: At the same time, we should underscore there is still significant security challenges in Mexico.

I know there's warring factions of the Sinaloa cartel in particular.

The murder rate for women there is at the highest rate in 14 years.

And, as you know, the Trump administration has designated eight Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

They're using that framework to justify and threaten potential military action.

What do you believe?

Do you think that this president might actually make good on that promise for military intervention in Mexico?

ROBERTO VELASCO ALVAREZ: Well, what I can tell you is that we have a very important security cooperation with the United States.

But this cooperation is based in the principles of paying respect to our sovereignty and, of course, also to our territorial integrity, and naturally also to what we call cooperation without subordination.

AMNA NAWAZ: I hear you saying territorial integrity.

Do I take that to mean that President Sheinbaum has made it clear to President Trump that U.S.

military action would not be welcome in Mexico?

Is that right?

ROBERTO VELASCO ALVAREZ: Naturally, there are activities in our country that only correspond to Mexican authorities to have - - this is previewed in our Constitution, and we have to respect our own laws and our own legal framework.

AMNA NAWAZ: I'd like to ask you about the trade talks as well between the two nations, because that ongoing review of the USMCA, or the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement, those talks were supposed to begin next week.

They were postponed.

It's been reported likely in October.

Can you tell us why they were postponed and whether or not they have been rescheduled?

ROBERTO VELASCO ALVAREZ: There is nothing to worry about.

We continue to work very closely with the United States trade representative.

We continue to have conversations both in the USMCA review and about the tariffs that the U.S.

has implemented.

We have made progress.

We don't have an agreement yet, but we continue to engage constructively on all these issues.

AMNA NAWAZ: We have also seen Prime Minister Carney consider now becoming an associate member of the E.U.

as a trading block.

You recently convened a number of Latin American countries with your Southeast Asian counterparts to discuss trade.

Is it fair to assume that Mexico is looking for other trading partners?

You feel you may not be able to rely on the U.S.?

ROBERTO VELASCO ALVAREZ: Well, Mexico is one of the most open countries in the world for trade.

We have free trade agreements covering over 60 countries in the world.

It is a normal thing for us to continue to communicate with this and other partners.

But that does not mean that we will not continue to have a close and respectful relation with the United States, and particularly on trade, given that we are each other's number one trading partner.

AMNA NAWAZ: I do want to ask you finally about the immigration crackdown in the U.S., because your government has said it's going to take legal action in relation to the deaths of 17 Mexican nationals in ICE custody or raids under this administration.

I know you filed complaints with state prosecutors.

You have sent cease-and-desist letters to detention centers.

Has there been any response on the U.S.

side?

ROBERTO VELASCO ALVAREZ: Well, this is an issue that, of course, worries us very importantly.

The human rights of our citizens in all of the world are one of our primary responsibilities.

And, of course, we're always looking for ways to protect them.

This is a very important part of our dialogue with the United States.

And in the case of the Mexican citizens that have died under is custody or during ICE operations, we have, as you mentioned, taken a series of measures.

We have received an indication that there are ongoing investigations.

Of course, we expect to have more information on that.

And we will continue to make the case that it is extremely important to make sure that the conditions that led to these deaths do not continue to exist.

AMNA NAWAZ: Mr.

Secretary, 17 Mexican nationals have died in ICE custody or raids.

Do you believe that the U.S.

is committing human rights violations?

ROBERTO VELASCO ALVAREZ: What I can tell you is that each case is different, and there needs to be investigations on each of these.

That's what we're looking for, and obviously to have justice when there was any case that -- where there was any legal violation.

AMNA NAWAZ: That is the foreign secretary of Mexico, Roberto Velasco Alvarez, joining us tonight.

Mr.

Secretary, thank you so much for your time.

It's good to speak with you.

ROBERTO VELASCO ALVAREZ: Thank you very much.