Mexican President Vicente Fox and his guests US President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada will tackle trade and immigration when they meet here on Thursday and Friday.
Bush will meet Harper for the first time since his swearing-in as prime minister last month, and they are likely to address resentment left over from prior Canadian governments. Bush has said that he holds no grudge and would work on more serious matters with the Conservative premier.
Bush will likely have his final official meeting with his "amigo" Fox, who leaves office in December. Fox would like to leave office after achieving his diplomatic goal of persuading his US neighbor to allow millions of undocumented Mexicans to continue to work in the United States.
The three men will discuss the Security and Prosperity Partnership, launched by the North American neighbors in March 2005 in Waco, Texas, to bolster cooperation on border security, trade and energy.
Bush and Harper will try to leave behind serious differences that Canadian governments under Liberal prime ministers Jean Chretien and Paul Martin had with the Bush administration.
Bush has recently admitted that some "harsh words" were spoken against him during the Canadian election campaign.
As for a long-standing dispute over US importation of Canadian building lumber, Bush said, "My strong signal is yes, get this behind us." The 4.5 billion-dollar trade dispute has been simmering for four years.
He also said he was ready to engage in talks over his plan to demand that Mexicans and Canadians entering the United States produce passports or other travel documents beginning January 2008.
Canadian businesses worry about the measure's effect on tourism and trade.
However, these same business leaders are counting on Harper to improve the business climate with the United States.
Canada and Mexico are the top US trade partners and have contributed to the US trade deficit, to the tune of 76 billion dollars for Canada and 50 billion dollars for Mexico.
Bush and Harper spoke cordially by telephone on Monday. Harper thanked the United States for freeing Canadian hostages in Iraq. Bush expressed appreciation for Canada's military presence in Afghanistan and Harper's firm defense of it.
Bush was expected to ask Fox to combat trade protectionism, and to better control Mexico's borders.
If, despite the political risk, Bush defends his program for temporary workers, he will try to convince his detractors that he can beef up the border.
A bill making unapproved US entry a crime has passed the US House of Representatives, and includes a plan to build a wall along the border, which has touched off mass protests in cities around the United States.
"It's impractical to fence off the border, but it is also realistic to give our Border Patrol agents the tools to be able to do their job," Bush told CNN on Tuesday.Agence France Presse
