This is the 3091st most frequent Japanese word.
交え
To mix, exchange, or include.
Here, '交えて' is used to mean 'intertwining' or 'mixing', referring to combining jokes within the speech.
彼は冗談を交えて話をしました。
He spoke while intertwining jokes.
In this case, '交えられました' implies 'to be mixed or included', showing the incorporation of different opinions within a discussion.
討論には様々な意見が交えられました。
Various opinions were included in the discussion.
'交えた' here indicates 'together with', reflecting the participation of friends in the match.