MEXICO CITY In a summit dominated by concerns alout drug trafficking and
immigration, President Clinton and his Mexican counterpait, Etnesto Zedillo,
announced a series of accords aimed at imptoving the oftentense
relationship between the two countries.
Cabinetlevel working groups reached 11 bilateral agreements on
everything from studying endangered species in the Gulf of Mexico, to
exoanding schol arship programs for Mexicans, to fund ing water'treat ment
plants along the U.S.Mexican border But the most important is sues on
President Clinton's first state visit here were drogs and immigration.
Both leaders signed a joint narcotics combat plan calling for more
U.S. drug agents at the border, broader oooperatton on moneylaundering
investigations and more U.S. funds for aircraft and training of Mexican drug
agents. The plan is comple mented by a study that describes in detail the
nature of the U.S.~Mextco drug prob lem. laying both blame and praise
squarely on both countries. (Related arti cle on page A14.)
President Clinton is the first U.S. head of state to visit Mexico in
nearly 20 years. The two leaders used the event to firm up numerous
dialogues that have developed between the two countries following the North
American Free Trade Agreement.
Many of the accords simply pushed forward several topics that have
already been in the works fyr months. A year ato. for example, the U.S. and
Mextco sIgned a memorandum of understanding to allow consular access to
certain types of immi grants, such as pregnant women and minors. ThIs week's
working group agreed to mriew consular issues, and cievelqp a btoader study
of Immigration fssues.
"No two countries are working on more issues with a tinect effect on
their ieeoples than Mexico and the U.S.." said President Clinton.
Both leaders indicated that the toppri ority problem is drug
trafficking, but the effort is complicated by Mexico's soveretgnty concerns.
l'or instance, the U.S. State Department offered Mexico 56 million for its
fight against narcotics. but in a news conference Mexican Attor ney General
Jorge Madraso said the offer would be "studied to see If It fits within the
framework" of the drugcombat accord.
Mexico and the U.S. also failed to specify whether Drug Enforcement
Ad ministration agents would be allowed to carry sidearms in Mexico, a
longstanding request by the U.S. Last week, President ZedlIlo emphatically
told foreign reporters that there can be "no further discus sion" of that
request. in yesterday's news conference. officials said an agreement had
been reached to protect U.S. drug agents, but neither side would elaborate.
Indeed, the issue of arming agents is so sensitive that National
Security Adviser Samuel Berger said that talking publicly about it would
only hurt Washington's chances to resolve the issue.
U.S. officials were careful to admit that drug consumption In the
U.S. remains a critical issue in the drug fight. "We rec ognize that the
$50 billion our US. citi zens spend on Co caine, heroin, meth
amphetamine, ma rijuana and other drugs are a roMor part of the equation
whose sum is crime, corruption and death," said Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the
US. drug czar.
On the positive side, the U.S. and Mexico agreed to simplify
information transfers in moneylaun dering cases. a White House spokesman
said that an agreement was reached to add DEA agents along the border to
work in `task forces" with Mexican counterparts. Similarly, Mexican agenbs
wilt be crossing (he U.S. border more frequently to work with U.S. agents.
Despite glowing public staterutents about the U.SMexican relationship,
White House officials expressed concern about whether the Mexican government
can in fact root corruption out of its inst)tutions.
When asked about Mexico's redoubled antidrug efforts, which have
Included the formation of a new agency to replace the corruptionridden
National Institute to combat Drugs. Gen. Mccaftrey termed it a work in
progress."