BUSH, FOX 'STRAIGHT SHOOTERS'

Leaders Declare Summit Success

SAN CRISTOBAL, Mexico - President Bush praised Mexican President Vicente
Fox as a straight-shooting ally in fighting drugs and helping America cope
with power shortages at a summit Friday that produced pledges of close
cooperation but no major agreements on long-simmering disputes.

"Each nation has a new president and a new perspective," Bush said.

The casual, colorful eight-hour summit at Fox's ranch 210 miles northwest
of Mexico City was overshadowed by the bombing by U.S. and British planes
of five Iraqi military sites. Bush briefly interrupted the session in Fox's
ranch house to receive the news, carried to the talks by a junior aide who
rushed from a dusty broccoli field housing the makeshift White House offices.

The leaders declared their meeting a success, if for no other reason than
the expectations were set so low.

"This wasn't a meeting to arrive at agreements or details or decisions,"
said Fox, who took power in December, ending seven decades of one-party
control.

Fox had sought a sense that his nation was taken seriously, a goal Bush
achieved simply by putting Mexico atop his travel schedule.

Bush produced an error-free maiden foreign policy trip, using symbols and
soothing words to show he wants to work with Mexico as a partner - not a
meddling superpower - to deal with drug trafficking, immigration, trade and
other issues that cause friction.

"Our nations are bound together by ties of history, family, values,
commerce and culture," said Bush, who showed his playful side all day. He
admitted he had his father's taste for broccoli - turning a thumbs down on
the vegetable grown by Fox.

In shirt sleeves and open collars, Bush at times spoke in heavily accented
Spanish, Fox in fluent English, to symbolize the warm relationship they
hope to build. On the way to the ranch, Bush's motorcade passed fields of
goats and cows - and laundry strung from countless clotheslines - before
stopping at the home of Fox's mother.

Fox and other Mexican officials embraced Bush's efforts to blend with the
community, and his commitment to discuss drugs and migration in ways that
don't saddle Mexico with all the blame.

On drug trafficking, Bush stopped just short of endorsing efforts in
Congress to end the annual U.S. evaluation of Mexico's drug-fighting
efforts. But he raised Mexico's hopes by saying the "main reason" for drug
trafficking through Mexico is the demand by U.S. citizens for the product.

"Our nation must do a better job of educating our citizenry about the
dangers and evils of drug use," Bush said, sharing responsibility for a
problem that Mexicans feel is too often blamed on them.

He noted "a movement" in Congress to review the certification process and
said he plans to tell U.S. lawmakers that Fox "will do everything in his
power to root out the drug lords and to halt drug trafficking as best as he
possibly can."

Bush said he talked with Fox about the possibility of helping Mexico
produce more energy along the border that could be pumped into California
and other Western states electricity shortages.

"Now, there are some bottlenecks, and one of the things we need to do is
address those bottlenecks, one of which is the ability to transmit power
from the south to the north."

Fox said progress was made on immigration issues.

"Certainly there is a new attitude, there is a new way of approaching
things, much more positive approach to things on this issue of migration,"
Fox said.