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Texas Summit Agreement on Security, Trade

Wed March 23, 2005 12:25 PM GMT-05:00
WACO, Texas (Reuters) - President George W. Bush and the leaders of Canada and Mexico announced on Wednesday a plan to strengthen economic and security ties, including border security and infrastructure protection.

Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and Mexican President Vicente Fox, meeting at Baylor University, issued a joint statement on the establishment of the new "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America."

The statement said that while the three countries had taken steps over recent years to expand trade and since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to address terrorism threats.

"But more needs to be done," the statement said. "In a rapidly changing world, we must develop new avenues of cooperation that will make our open societies safer and more secure, our businesses more competitive, and our economies more resilient."

While the summit will not focus on tensions over trade and immigration disputes that have marred relations, those issues will likely be raised during a day that will include lunch at Bush's ranch in nearby Crawford.

The summit comes amid U.S.-Mexico tensions over immigration issues, with Fox seeking an easing of restrictions on Mexicans working illegally in the United States.

Canada and the United States have been embroiled in trade disputes over Canadian lumber exports, and beef and cattle trade that has been disrupted since Canada found its first domestic case of mad cow disease.

The North American allies are facing a rise in the economic power of China and India and the expansion of the European Union. The United States has pressed its neighbors to improve border security after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The three countries pledged to establish a common approach to security to protect North America from external threats and prevent and respond to threats within North America.

They said they would implement common border security and bioprotection strategies and strengthen infrastructure protection.

The pact calls for improving aviation and maritime security, combating transnational threats, and strengthening intelligence partnerships.

It also called for increasing North American competitiveness and promoting collaboration in the energy, transportation, financial services, and technology sectors, and to reduce the cost of trade through the "efficient movement of goods and people."

A 90-day deadline was set for ministerial-level groups to report back to the leaders with an initial report.

There was no mention of the issues that have created tension among the allies.

Canada has a long-running trade dispute with the United States over duties on Canada's multibillion-dollar lumber exports.

Washington says the duties are needed to offset artificially low prices set by Canadian lumber exporters. Canada denies there is any dumping.

Bush's proposal for a temporary guest worker program that would allow millions of illegal immigrants, mostly Mexicans, to win legal status for three years if they had jobs has so far met strong opposition in Congress.

Both Bush and Martin support resumption of beef and cattle trade that has been disrupted since Canada found its first domestic case of mad cow disease. But the issue is before U.S. federal courts.