Rice: US, Mexico to discuss drugs, world issues

[October 23, 2008]  PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she hopes to discuss not just drug trafficking, but a host of world issues with Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Patricia Espinosa in meetings at this Pacific coast resort.

Rice, who arrived in Puerto Vallarta late Wednesday for a one-day visit to Mexico, suggested that the seat Mexico won last week on the U.N. Security Council makes it likely that more than just bilateral concerns will be discussed.

But U.S. officials acknowledged that talks are also expected to touch on the violent drug cartel turf battles that have hit Mexico in recent years, and the role played in that violence by weapons smuggled into Mexico from the United States.

The United States is expected to begin delivering soon the first installments of the $400 million in anti-drug aid for Mexico approved by Congress earlier this year as part of the Merida Initiative.

Rice said the Bush administration was still working with Congress on "letters of agreement" to implement the Merida Initiative provisions "very quickly."

"This is a national security priority for Mexico and national security priority for the United States," she said. "I think it is urgent because of the security situation."

Hundreds have died in gangland-style killings in Mexican border cities in recent months, and U.S. officials acknowledge that some cartels have started crossing the border to kill and kidnap in U.S. territory.

Rice said she is concerned about the border violence and drug trafficking in Central America.

Mexico has criticized the slow pace of disbursement of the U.S. aid, and Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Shannon acknowledged "it is a very bureaucratic process."

Mexico has pressed -- and is expected to continue to press -- the United States to do more to stop the flow of weapons into Mexico, including assault rifles and machine guns used in thousands of cartel-related killings each year.

"There are very specific issues in the bilateral agenda," Rice said. But since Mexico is a member of the Security Council, "there are also broad issues we can talk about with a global interest."

"Much of this meeting is forged on the great friendship they developed," Shannon said, adding that the dialogue was to begin Wednesday night at a dinner held in Puerto Vallarta's balmy Pacific breezes.

Rice and Espinosa met behind closed doors Wednesday and were to give a joint statement on Thursday.

On the plane prior to arriving in Mexico, Rice said the talks also would focus on "working together in the development agenda, trade agenda, law enforcement and security."

"It is a very broad relationship," she said.

[Associated Press; By NESTOR IKEDA]

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