Mexico. President Biden met Tuesday with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada before both attended a three-way summit with the president of Mexico that will serve as a forum to discuss economic cooperation, drug trafficking, migration, climate change and more.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico is hosting Mr. Biden and Mr. Trudeau for what is expected to be several hours of closed-door discussions at the National Palace in Mexico City. Aides to all three men said that they were optimistic that the meeting, known as the North American Leaders’ Summit, will help maintain cooperation on a range of issues.
The three leaders were scheduled to deliver statements to the press before Mr. Biden boards Air Force One for the flight back to Washington on Tuesday evening.
“This trip is a good opportunity for President Biden to deepen his personal engagement with President López Obrador and Prime Minister Trudeau,” Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser at the White House, told reporters in Mexico City on Monday.
Before their meeting on Tuesday morning, Mr. Biden and Mr. Trudeau discussed the close relationship between their countries as they continue to deal with global challenges.
But there are thorny issues for the three leaders to discuss, with matters related to the U.S.-Mexico border among the biggest concerns.
Mr. Biden and Mr. López Obrador will focus extensively on the record-breaking flow of migrants throughout the region, which is putting strain on the United States and Mexico. White House officials said that the three leaders have agreed to continue working together toward “safe, orderly, and humane migration.”
A fact sheet listing “key deliverables” expected from the summit that was distributed by the White House does not list any new major migration initiatives. It says that the three leaders will share “best practices” and continue working on ways to help people learn about opportunities to migrate online and in person.
But aides to Mr. Biden said that the broader challenge of how to secure the border is his top priority at the summit. In a one-on-one meeting on Monday night, Mr. Biden and Mr. López Obrador “reaffirmed their commitment to implement innovative approaches to address irregular migration,” according to a White House summary of the meeting.
Other issues on Tuesday’s agenda include renewed efforts to combat trafficking of drugs and weapons in North America. Biden administration officials have been frustrated in the last two years with what they say is a lack of Mexican cooperation in drug investigations.
The White House fact sheet said that the leaders had agreed to strengthen the North American Drug Dialogue to increase information sharing, and to enhance collaboration among all three nations on nuclear security and safety.
On climate change, White House officials said that the three leaders had agreed to some new targets, including a pledge to “reduce methane emissions from the solid waste and wastewater sector by at least 15 percent by 2030 from 2020 levels.” They will work to develop a plan to cut down on food waste, and a separate plan for coordinating electric vehicle charging stations along their borders, White House officials said.
— Michael D. Shear
Source. The New York Times.
