Biden seeks action on migrants, drugs in Mexico talks
US President Joe Biden on Monday sought tougher action on illegal migration and drugs in talks with his Mexican counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, as strains showed in the neighbours' approach to tackling the crisis. Biden is visiting Mexico for the first time as president to meet Lopez Obrador and also hold three-way talks with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at what is dubbed the "Three Amigos" summit. Biden said that one of his priorities was discussing "the plague of fentanyl, which has killed 100,000 Americans so far," referring to the often-deadly opioid smuggled across the border by Mexican drug cartels. Another vital issue was "how we can tackle irregular migration, which I think we're well on our way to doing," he said at the start of the talks, calling Mexico a "true partner". While Lopez Obrador gave Biden a warm welcome on his arrival at the presidential palace, his tone hardened at the formal talks, where the Mexican leader appealed for a change in US attitudes toward the region. "It is time to end this oblivion, this abandonment, this disdain for Latin America and the Caribbean," Lopez Obrador said. Biden defended Washington's record, saying it had spent "tens of billions of dollars" in the past 15 years alone that had benefitted the region. "The United States provides more foreign aid than every other country just about combined," he said. "Unfortunately, our responsibility just doesn't end in the Western Hemisphere," Biden added. Meanwhile, The US, Canadian and Mexican foreign ministers signed a joint declaration on racial equality on the sidelines of the North American leaders talks in Mexico City. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Mexico Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard and Canada Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly attended the signing ceremony. The Declaration of the North American Alliance for Inclusion and Racial Equality aims to promote social diversity, equity and inclusion in the three countries. "With this declaration, each of our nations acknowledges the responsibility to work with fierce urgency to knock down these enduring barriers and to try and stamp out the prejudice at their root." said Blinken. (AFP/Reuters)______________________________
Last updated: 2023-01-10 HKT 13:30 