Pubdate: Mon, 19 Feb 2001
Source: Evansville Courier & Press (IN)
Copyright: 2001 The Evansville Courier
Contact:  P. O. Box 268 Evansville, IN 47702-0268
Fax: 812-464-7435
Website: http://courier.evansville.net/
Author: Ron Fournier, Associated Press White House correspondent

BUSH, FOX 'STRAIGHT SHOOTERS'

Leaders Declare Summit Success

SAN CRISTOBAL, Mexico - President Bush praised Mexican President Vicente 
Fox as a straight-shooting ally in fighting drugs and helping America cope 
with power shortages at a summit Friday that produced pledges of close 
cooperation but no major agreements on long-simmering disputes.

"Each nation has a new president and a new perspective," Bush said.

The casual, colorful eight-hour summit at Fox's ranch 210 miles northwest 
of Mexico City was overshadowed by the bombing by U.S. and British planes 
of five Iraqi military sites. Bush briefly interrupted the session in Fox's 
ranch house to receive the news, carried to the talks by a junior aide who 
rushed from a dusty broccoli field housing the makeshift White House offices.

The leaders declared their meeting a success, if for no other reason than 
the expectations were set so low.

"This wasn't a meeting to arrive at agreements or details or decisions," 
said Fox, who took power in December, ending seven decades of one-party 
control.

Fox had sought a sense that his nation was taken seriously, a goal Bush 
achieved simply by putting Mexico atop his travel schedule.

Bush produced an error-free maiden foreign policy trip, using symbols and 
soothing words to show he wants to work with Mexico as a partner - not a 
meddling superpower - to deal with drug trafficking, immigration, trade and 
other issues that cause friction.

"Our nations are bound together by ties of history, family, values, 
commerce and culture," said Bush, who showed his playful side all day. He 
admitted he had his father's taste for broccoli - turning a thumbs down on 
the vegetable grown by Fox.

In shirt sleeves and open collars, Bush at times spoke in heavily accented 
Spanish, Fox in fluent English, to symbolize the warm relationship they 
hope to build. On the way to the ranch, Bush's motorcade passed fields of 
goats and cows - and laundry strung from countless clotheslines - before 
stopping at the home of Fox's mother.

Fox and other Mexican officials embraced Bush's efforts to blend with the 
community, and his commitment to discuss drugs and migration in ways that 
don't saddle Mexico with all the blame.

On drug trafficking, Bush stopped just short of endorsing efforts in 
Congress to end the annual U.S. evaluation of Mexico's drug-fighting 
efforts. But he raised Mexico's hopes by saying the "main reason" for drug 
trafficking through Mexico is the demand by U.S. citizens for the product.

"Our nation must do a better job of educating our citizenry about the 
dangers and evils of drug use," Bush said, sharing responsibility for a 
problem that Mexicans feel is too often blamed on them.

He noted "a movement" in Congress to review the certification process and 
said he plans to tell U.S. lawmakers that Fox "will do everything in his 
power to root out the drug lords and to halt drug trafficking as best as he 
possibly can."

Bush said he talked with Fox about the possibility of helping Mexico 
produce more energy along the border that could be pumped into California 
and other Western states electricity shortages.

"Now, there are some bottlenecks, and one of the things we need to do is 
address those bottlenecks, one of which is the ability to transmit power 
from the south to the north."

Fox said progress was made on immigration issues.

"Certainly there is a new attitude, there is a new way of approaching 
things, much more positive approach to things on this issue of migration," 
Fox said.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens