MEXICO GREETS CLINTON LIKE AN OLD FRIEND

MERIDA, Mexico - With a new lease on his political life, President
Clinton basked in a warm reception Sunday in the tropical capital of
the Yucatan, where even raucous pre-Lenten Carnival celebrations were
quieted in honor of his arrival.

The president was greeted with a bear hug by Mexican President Ernesto
Zedillo at an airport festooned with Mexican and U.S. flags and a
giant "Bienvenidos a Mexico" sign. A military honor guard saluted the
Clintons, and four children presented bouquets of flowers.

Pictures of the two presidents were plastered throughout Merida, a
pretty city known for its crumbling, pastel mansions.

The two leaders and their wives later went to a private
dinner.

The affectionate welcome came even though the leaders are expected to
address such thorny issues as drug policy and immigration during the
one-day visit. While Clinton did not come bearing huge gifts, the
two men are expected to sign one agreement liberalizing air travel
and another providing $4 billion in credit for Mexican importers of
U.S. products over two years. Mexico has emerged as the No. 2
importer of U.S. goods even as trade to much of the world has
stagnated because of the global economic crisis.

The trip was the president's first excursion out of the White House
since Friday, when he was acquitted by the Senate of charges relating
to his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

It was immediately clear that the president's trial has cost him
little, if any, popularity south of the border. From senior Cabinet
officials to the man in the street, Mexicans were jubilant about the
visit of a leader who has supported them and their economy even when
it was difficult for him politically.

"President Clinton is a friend of Mexico, a personal friend of
President Zedillo, and we give him a warm welcome," said Foreign
Minister Rosario Green.

The president of Mexico's Senate said that Clinton's acquittal was
"favorable." "We're really pleased it turned out this way," said Maria
de los Angeles Moreno.

The Carnival festivities were shut down early by police who were
concerned about security relating to the U.S. president's visit.