Mexican leader mulls cancelling Trump meeting

MEXICO CITY (AFP) -- President Enrique Pena Nieto weighed on Wednesday whether to cancel a meeting with Donald Trump next week as he condemned the US president's decision to build a massive border wall.

Lawmakers are pressuring Pena Nieto to scrap Tuesday's talks in Washington after Trump made good on his campaign pledge to quickly order the construction of the barrier.

"I regret and condemn the decision of the United States to continue construction of a wall that, for years, has divided us instead of uniting us," Pena Nieto said in a nationally televised message.

"I have said it time and again: Mexico will not pay for any wall," he said, referring to Trump's vow to make the southern neighbor pay for the barrier.

"Mexico gives and demands respect as the completely sovereign nation that we are," Pena Nieto said.

Pena Nieto said he would wait for a report from a high-level Mexican delegation holding meetings in the US capital this week and consult with governors and lawmakers before deciding on "the next steps to take."

Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, who was in Washington, told the Televisa network that Pena Nieto will weigh whether to travel to Washington but that "the meeting stands for now."