CLINTON SIGNALS BACKING FOR MEXICO DRUG WAR EFFORT

MERIDA, Mexico -- President Clinton signaled Monday he would renew Mexico's
status as an ally in the drug war as the two countries announced an
agreement to measure progress in fighting drugsmuggling. Clinton and
Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo ended an upbeat and businesslike 24hour
summit in Merida, on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, that also produced a
flurry of accords on issues including reducing violence along the 1,820mile
(3,000 km) frontier between the two nations and providing $4 billion to
help finance U.S. exports to Mexico. The two leaders announced an accord to
liberalize air transport between their countries as well as pacts to fight
wildfires in Mexico and tuberculosis on both sides of the border.

But the summit was overshadowed by U.S. debate on whether to add Mexico to
a blacklist of countries not doing their part to stem the flow of illegal
narcotics into the United States, an annual process viewed in Mexico as
onesided and hostile.

Clinton gave another sign Monday that his administration planned to back
Mexico's drug efforts, saying cooperation had "clearly improved" under
Zedillo's leadership and that both countries were better off fighting the
war together.

"I want to acknowledge President Zedillo's efforts in Mexico's interests to
root out this scourge," Clinton said in a speech at the meeting's end.

He added to applause from the gathering of business leaders, cabinet
members and legislators from both countries that: "Mexico should not be
penalized for having the courage to confront its problems." Zedillo
indicated his government was not fighting drug traffickers due to outside
pressure but rather because it was in his country's national interest. "We
Mexicans are convinced and decided to fight against drug trafficking until
we win," he said.

The accord announced Monday establishes socalled BiNational Performance
Measures of Effectiveness that will monitor both countries' progress in
fighting narcotics demand, production and distribution, as well as efforts
to combat drugsrelated corruption and money laundering. U.S. antidrug chief
Barry McCaffrey said the accord was aimed at sharpening antidrug efforts,
and was not expected to be a source of later mutual recriminations.

"The goal of this isn't so much of a grading sheet as trying to keep us
both on this cooperative track," he told reporters. Clinton is expected to
renew Mexico's annual "certification" as an ally in the drug war by March
1, despite opposition from some members of Congress who argue Mexico has
lost ground in the battle. Decertification could mean a loss of some trade
and economic benefits. U.S. officials estimate that twothirds of Colombian
cocaine landing on U.S. streets crosses Mexican territory. Mexico is also a
major producer of marijuana, opium and amphetamines. But Mexican officials
note that U.S. demand for drugs fuels the trafficking.

Other lawenforcement agreements reached Monday would provide U.S. training
to Mexican police and track chemicals used to make illegal drugs. Both
Zedillo and Clinton praised the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
as a source of jobs and growth in the five years since the United States,
Mexico and Canada were joined in the pact. A U.S. official said 1 million
American jobs now depended on trade with Mexico, up 45 percent since the
beginning of the agreement. Mexico is the United States' secondlargest
trading partner, behind Canada, having recently overtaken Japan.

"Of course, we still have work to do on labor, environmental and other
issues," Clinton said.