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 Business News | March 2005 
North America to Strengthen Treaty
 John Rice - Associated Press
| "Between 1995 and the end of last year, Mexico's economy doubled in size in dollar terms while per capita income rose from $3,100 to $6,505," Fox said.
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Mexico City - The leaders of the United States, Mexico and Canada hope to strengthen their free-trade pact with an accord on security, energy and tariffs when they meet next week, Mexico's President Vicente Fox said Wednesday.
But Fox made clear tensions remain over how to secure the countries' borders, criticizing new U.S. walls running along parts of its 2,000-mile frontier with Mexico. "No country that is proud of itself should build walls," he said.
Fox said the "Initiative for North America," now in draft form, would help the three countries "meet the competitive challenge of other economic blocs throughout the world."
He said it includes increased security measures, a joint North American policy on energy and "new ideas of a customs union" involving common tariffs. But it would not modify the decade-old North American Free Trade Agreement itself.
Speaking at a news conference with U.S. and Canadian reporters, Fox vowed to take legal action against what he called migrant-hunting vigilantes in Arizona and promised "full cooperation" against terrorism.
Fox shrugged aside recent Mexican irritation at U.S. comments about security and corruption in Mexico, painting a rosy picture of relations between the countries.
"It's difficult to say that it's better than ever, because it's been so good that reaching a higher level is not easy," he said.
But in both Spanish and English, Fox repeatedly expressed concern about state initiatives to limit rights of migrants and services for them in the United States, and about the U.S. government's effort to slow migration by building walls.
"We are convinced that walls don't work. They should be torn down," Fox said. He called the walls "discriminatory; they attack liberty. So no country that is proud of itself should build walls. Nobody can isolate himself these days."
Fox said he would discuss ways to create a legal, orderly, dignified migration system with President Bush (news - web sites) during the meeting next week in Texas.
Fox insisted Mexico would not meddle in U.S. affairs by lobbying for any legislation, but was ready to offer information if asked.
He said Mexicans "totally reject" what he called vigilante "migrant hunter" groups formed in Arizona to help stem the illegal crossings there, which have risen partly because of the construction of walls elsewhere. The groups "are completely in violation of American law itself and in violation of laws anywhere," Fox said.
He said Mexico "will be very alert to react legally against any lawbreaking" by those groups, either under U.S. or international law.
He repeated Mexico's promise to fight terrorism and improve border security without hindering the 1 million people who legally cross the border each day.
All three countries are convinced "we can have security on our borders and efficiency in the movement of people and the movement of merchandise," Fox said.
While "we don't have any evidence or any indication" that terrorists have entered Mexico en route to the United States, Fox said his government was working with the United States and other nations on security.
"And if that has costs, we will pay those costs, because the goal is clear and the objective is precise: It's to eradicate and end terrorism wherever it is found."
He argued that some of Mexico's problems come from its success in fighting drug traffickers and limiting the flow of drugs to the United States. Some 40,000 drug trafficking suspects have been jailed during his administration, Fox said.
"What we get is more drugs available in Mexico and the increase of consumption in Mexico," as well as a bloody battle for control of cartels along the northern border, Fox said.
As the NAFTA nation leaders prepare to meet March 23, Fox argued that the free-trade pact that took effect on New Year's Day 1994 "has worked and worked very well."
He said Mexico's jobless rate was 4.1 percent under international standards — the lowest in the Americas and lower than any in Europe.
Between 1995 and the end of last year, Fox said, Mexico's economy doubled in size in dollar terms while per capita income rose from $3,100 to $6,505. |
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