MEXICO CITY, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Foreign investors are looking to increase their investment in Mexico thanks to the ratification of the renovated free trade agreement, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday.

"In general (foreign investors are) very optimistic about the country's economic future, and committed to keeping their investment and increasing their investment in Mexico, within the framework of the free trade deal," Lopez Obrador told reporters at his daily press conference.

The president made the remarks after a meeting on Tuesday evening with representatives from the Americas Society and Council of the Americas (AS/COA), which bills itself as promoting dialogue and business in the region.

Representatives from major financial institutions and multinational companies attended the gathering, including Scotiabank, HSBC, Cisco, Amazon, Sempra Energy, Chevron and the AES Corporation.

"They have all invested in the country and they are going to increase their investment," said the president.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaces the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, is expected to take effect in the second half of 2020.