Pictured: U.S. Unveils Its Largest Embassy in the World In Mexico As Trump Gets Ready For Testy Relations

The United States formally inaugurated its new embassy in Mexico City. It is a $1.2 billion project spanning 49,000 square meters and employing 1,400 workers. Initially scheduled for completion two years ago, the embassy is the largest U.S. diplomatic mission in the world, signaling the importance of the bilateral relationship amid growing uncertainty around Trump's upcoming approach to diplomacy with the neighboring country.

The new embassy is located in the New Polanco area, a district known for its upscale developments. Built on the site of a former industrial facility that required extensive environmental remediation, the embassy replaces the existing facility on Paseo de la Reforma, which has often been a focal point for protests.

While the inauguratoin ceremony marked a significant milestone, the embassy is not yet operational and is expected to open to the public late next year, according to the Associated Press.

"Beyond diplomacy, it will be a place for our nations to get to know each other better, understand each other more deeply, and build a shared future," said outgoing U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar through a statement on the embassy's official website.

During the reveal, however, Salazar indirectly took a jab at the upcoming transition in U.S. leadership, contrasting visions of division and isolation with the commitment to collaboration:

"The vision of dividing, of building walls, of seeing other people as inferior, that is not our vision. Our vision is to have equal partners and build a family"

The ceremony included cultural presentations by the Ballet Folklórico de México and musical performances by Mexican-American artists Jesse and Joy. It also featured notable figures from business and government sectors.

President-elect Donald Trump, set to return to office next month, has vowed to impose tariffs, implement mass deportations, and linked bilateral cooperation to Mexico's ability to control migration and drug trafficking to an extent of his liking.

He also nominated Ron Johnson, a former ambassador to El Salvador and ex-Green Beret, to succeed Salazar as ambassador to Mexico. Johnson served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump's first administration from 2019 to 2021.

Claudia Sheinbaum's government has been holding its ground amid Trump's threats, vowing to defend the country's sovereignty and warning about the potential effects of tariffs on American consumers.