Text: U.S. Senator Reports on Meetings with Mexican President Fox

11 January 2001

Text: U.S. Senator Reports on Meetings with Mexican President Fox

Domenici hails prospect of greater U.S.-Mexico cooperation

Senator Pete Domenici (Republican of New Mexico), newly returned from an official trip to Mexico where he met with President Vicente Fox and senior Mexican officials, issued a January 11 press release declaring that "President Fox's commitment to cooperation and transparency" offers both the United States and Mexico "unprecedented opportunities to improve the border region and binational relations."

Domenici traveled to Mexico City as part of a Senate delegation led by Senator Phil Gramm (Republican of Texas), accompanied by Senator Jim Bunning (Republican of Kentucky), Senator Mike Crapo (Republican of Idaho) and Senator Zell Miller (Democrat of Georgia). The U.S. legislators discussed "such issues as guest-worker program reforms, border development, trade and illegal drug trafficking" with their Mexican hosts, Domenici said.

He also recommended that President-elect Bush meet with Fox "at the earliest opportunity" in order to explore avenues of cooperation on immigration issues.

Following is the text of the press release:

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DOMENICI HERALDS NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR U.S.-MEXICO COOPERATION

Senator Reports on Meetings with Mexican Pres. Fox, Officials

ALBUQUERQUE -- Upon his return from meeting with Mexican President Vicente Fox, U.S. Senator Pete Domenici today declared that new ground has been established for improving relations between the United States and Mexico, which will ultimately benefit New Mexico.

Domenici returned late Wednesday from his official Senate trip to Mexico City where he met with Fox and other members of the new Mexican government, and discussed such issues as guest-worker program reforms, border development, trade and illegal drug trafficking.

Domenici declared that President Fox's commitment to cooperation and transparency offers both nations unprecedented opportunities to improve the border region and binational relations. He also urged President-elect Bush to meet with Fox at the earliest opportunity, citing cooperation on issues such as immigration.

"The time I spent with Vicente Fox and his administration leaves me highly optimistic about the prospects for new cooperation between Mexico and the United States on issues that have historically troubled our relationship. I urge President-elect Bush to put together a meeting with President Fox to discuss a mutually beneficial agenda sooner rather than later," Domenici said.

Domenici said he was heartened by Fox's support for reforms to U.S. guest-worker laws and a new proposal geared to help reduce illegal immigration to the United States and benefit Mexican migrant workers.

"It is time that we seriously look at ideas for providing legal worker permits to laborers who are in our country illegally and to Mexicans wishing to come to the U.S. to work. This should help curtail illegal immigration. President Fox recognized that the current situation is bad for both nations," Domenici said. "Mexican nationals in significant numbers are working in virtually every state. New guest worker policies could help alleviate worker shortages legally around the nation and in New Mexico agriculture, as we have seen particularly in chile and onion harvesting in recent years."

Domenici reported that Fox endorsed the completion of a 17-mile highway bypass project in progress in Mexico south of the Santa Teresa port of entry. Completion of the road would significantly boost traffic through the border crossing at Santa Teresa. Domenici said completion of the road would alleviate traffic at El Paso bridges and that the increased traffic through Santa Teresa held great promise for developments on both sides of the border.

"Seeing this bypass done in Mexico would funnel traffic into the Santa Teresa port. For New Mexico, this means more trade," Domenici said. "The area surrounding Santa Teresa on both sides of the border holds great potential to be a showcase location for working together from the ground up to create thriving developments and smooth-running trade. The Mexican government expressed a strong interest in seeing this region developed."

Domenici also met one-on-one with the Mexican Coordinator for Northern Border Affairs, or "Border Czar," Ernesto Ruffo. Domenici reported that the above-mentioned immigration and border infrastructure issues comprised the bulk of their conversation.

In his meeting with Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda, Domenici brought up the possibility of a focused binational effort to eradicate the problem of black tar heroin, a particularly potent form of the drug that has haunted northern New Mexico communities.

"Tragically, as we have seen in northern New Mexico, particularly Rio Arriba County, black tar heroin is one of the most deadly drugs to menace New Mexico," Domenici said. "This drug is produced in a certain region of Mexico. A focused cooperative effort to end trafficking of black tar heroin could serve as the forerunner to better anti-drug cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico on a larger scale in the future."

Finally, Domenici called for greater cooperation between Mexican and U.S. law enforcement agencies in fighting illegal drag trafficking.

"We face many serious problems as neighboring nations. I hope that under the new Bush and Fox administrations, we will see a more cooperative, multilateral approach to addressing these challenges. President Fox knows that it is imperative for his administration to stand strong against the illegal narcotics trade. I also expressed to him that a very important move in this direction would be for Mexico to improve its record on extradition of Mexican drug criminals who have been indicted in the U.S."

In addition to his meeting with Fox, Domenici and the group of senators also met with Secretary of Economy Ernesto Derbez and Labor Minister Carlos Abascal Carranza. The Senate delegation also met with U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow and members of the Mexican Senate.

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