MEXICO CITY, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's virtual president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday said he would seek ties of mutual respect with the United States once in office.
"We are not going to quarrel. We are always going to seek agreement," Lopez Obrador, popularly known by his initials as AMLO, said in an interview with Mexican TV network Televisa.
U.S. President Donald Trump was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Lopez Obrador on his election victory Sunday, after preliminary results gave him more than 50 percent of votes.
Lopez Obrador thanked Trump for his "very respectful" message, which was posted to Twitter.
"That is what we are always going to strive for in our relationship with the government of the United States, that there be mutual respect," said Lopez Obrador.
"We are never going to disrespect the U.S. government, because we want it to respect us, we want there to be a relationship of friendship and cooperation for development," added Lopez Obrador.
He noted the United States is Mexico's biggest trade partner, the two share a 3,200-kilometer border, and millions of Mexicans reside in the United States.
Lopez Obrador said he was in favor of working toward a renewed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) signed with the United States and Canada in 1994.
The three countries have been working to revamp the agreement since August 2017, as part of Trump's campaign pledge to secure better terms for U.S. industry.
Lopez Obrador, who is set to meet with President Enrique Pena Nieto on Tuesday as part of the transition process, said he will propose his aides be brought up to speed on the talks so they can contribute to the negotiations, which may continue into next year.
The National Electoral Institute (INE) on Sunday evening announced the results of a preliminary unofficial "rapid count" based on a sample of 5 percent of polling stations nationwide.
According to the figures, Lopez Obrador, candidate of the left-of-center National Regeneration Movement, won a decisive victory by securing 53 to 53.8 percent of the votes.