WASHINGTON (Reuter) President Clinton, preparing for his
first presidential trip to Mexico, said Saturday the United
States wanted to help Mexicans ``build a better future'' but
disputes on drugs and immigration were likely to linger.
Talking to reporters, Clinton said he did not view his
threeday visit to Mexico starting Monday as a ``visit of
reconciliation.''
``I see it as building on an ongoing partnership between two
great nations that share a huge border and a common future, have
some common problems, and inevitably some disagreements,'' he
said.
The president departs Monday for Mexico, first stop on a
weeklong trip that will include his participation in a Central
American summit in Costa Rica and a Caribbean summit in
Barbados. At all stops the key issues will be illegal drug
trafficking, immigration and trade.
Even though Mexico is America's southern neighbor and a
large trading partner, Clinton has yet to visit Mexico as
president.
He goes at a time when relations have been strained between
the two countries over American criticism of highlevel
corruption among Mexican drug agents, and Mexican attacks on
newly passed U.S. immigration laws.
While there, Clinton and his top aides will attempt to
increase cooperation in the war on drugs. Clinton said narcotics
trafficking was one of the ``common problems'' facing both
countries that must be addressed.
``This drug problem is as big or bigger a problem for Mexico
as it is for the United States. They will, in the end, not be
able to maintain the fabric of an orderly, democratic, free
society if the narcotraffickers come to dominate huge sections
of their country,'' he said.
``On the other hand, we have to understand the pressures
that they are under, and we have to help them to beat back those
pressures. And we'll work through it as well as we can,'' he
said.
Trying to set a positive tone for the trip, Clinton said the
people and government of Mexico should know ``that the United
States and that our administration wish them well and want to
help them build a better future.''
One longstanding dispute that Clinton would like to resolve
is whether agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency can
carry their weapons while in Mexico. U.S. officials asked for
permission after a series of murders in the autumn of 1996 of
Mexican officers who had been working with U.S. agents.
Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo appeared to rule out any
agreement on the sidearm problem. The New York Times said
Zedillo, in an interview with American reporters Friday, said he
wanted to cooperate in the drug war.
``But when I'm told that some people in the U.S. government
would like to see their agents armed in Mexico, I say no! The
answer is no! No further discussion! Let's look for ways in
which those people can be wellprotected in Mexico, but we
simply will not allow that. And that's that,'' he said.
A White House official, asked for reaction to Zedillo's
comment, said, ``We continue to believe that we can find ways to
work with the Mexican government to ensure the safety of our
people who are working with them on counternarcotics issues.''
Clinton predicted the two countries will continue to have
tensions over immigration. Mexico fears new U.S. legislation
cracking down on illegal immigrants will spark mass
deportations.
The president pointed out that the United States accepted
one million legal immigrants last year.
``If we have laws and people wait in line, sometimes for
years, to come to this country, it is wrong not to try to be
tough to stop those who seek to evade those laws and come in
ahead of their ordinary time. That's not right,'' Clinton said.