Mexico is one of world's highest crime nations, says Trump

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his country needs a border wall because of Mexico's crime rate.

"With Mexico being one of the highest crime nations in the world, we must have THE WALL. Mexico will pay for it through reimbursement/other," Trump tweeted, Efe news reported.

Trump is currently waging a budget battle with Congress to obtain funding for building the wall, not an easy task due to the total rejection by the Democratic opposition and some Republican lawmakers representing states on the border.

The president went so far this week as to threaten a partial government shutdown if congress fails to authorize the funds to build the wall on the border with Mexico, a country that, as Trump repeated Sunday, in the end with pay for the border wall one way or another, though he gave no further details.

Trump also asked his 36.8 million followers on Twitter if he should continue negotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada.

"We are in the NAFTA (worst trade deal ever made) renegotiation process with Mexico & Canada.Both being very difficult,may have to terminate?" Trump asked on Twitter.

The Mexican government attributes Trump's words to a simple negotiating strategy, and was not surprised, Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said this week.

The renegotiation of NAFTA began August 16 with a first round of talks that went on until August 20.

The next meeting will be in Mexico between September 1-5, for the negotiators' express purpose of reaching an agreement for the beginning of 2018.

--IANS

ahm/