Obama's Mexico visit a symbol of warming ties

By Alexander Manda

MEXICO CITY, April 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama's just-concluded visit to Mexico signaled warming ties between the two countries, but issues that have complicated their bilateral relationship remain as thorny, analysts said.

"It was a symbolic visit, and the symbols are important," said Federico Estevez, a political science professor at the Mexican Autonomous Technology Institute.

Obama arrived in Mexico on Thursday for a two-day visit before traveling on to Trinidad and Tobago for the fifth Summit of the Americas.

During Obama's stay in Mexico, the two countries agreed on a new partnership to combat climate change and promote environmentally-friendly forms of energy production, said a statement released by the White House.

Obama and his Mexican counterpart Felipe Calderon also agreed to make joint efforts to fight the rampant drug, cash and arms smuggling along the Mexico-U.S. border.

"Something that President Calderon and myself absolutely recognized is that you can't fight this war with just one hand," Obama told reporters here on Thursday.

"At a time when the Mexican government has so courageously taken on the drug cartels that have plagued both sides of the border, it is absolutely critical that the United States join as a full partner in dealing with this issue," he said.

He also acknowledged the United States shares a responsibility for the violence in Mexico, saying his country must crack down on domestic drug use and the flow of weapons into Mexico.

The United States is the primary source of weapons used in Mexico's drug-related violence, while Mexico is the main hub for drug smuggling to the United States.

There are clear signs of improving ties between the Unite States and Mexico since Obama took office early this year, although nothing substantive was signed or announced during the two-day visit, Estevez said.

"It is interesting that Obama chose Mexico and stayed here (for sometime)," said Raul Feliz, an economist at the Center for Investigation and Teaching in Economics in Mexico City.

"He has shown that Mexico is viewed as a good ally," Feliz said.

FEW CONCRETE ACHIEVEMENTS

Despite signs of improved ties, few concrete achievements were produced during Obama's visit.

Obama did not address Mexico's legislature, Estevez said, noting the visit was practically a "stopover."

Mexican media on Friday grumbled about the visit, which lasted less than 24 hours, saying it had achieved too little. Daily Milenio in an editorial termed the meeting between Obama and Calderon as "so many blah blah blah."

Concrete agreements were tough to ink, said Feliz.

For example, neither of the two leaders in their public remarks addressed the issue of bilateral trade, in which some disputes have cropped up recently.

"I think they agreed not to speak about trade," Feliz said. "The U.S. understands that, after 15 years of waiting, Mexico has the right to take some retaliatory measures."

Mexico recently imposed tariffs on a long list of items imported from the United States after the U.S. congress in March passed laws banning Mexican trucks on U.S. highways.

Feliz said the truck issue would be very difficult to resolve, as Obama's party, the Democrats, is closely linked to unions, including the truck drivers' union that is fiercely opposed to any Mexican competition.

Cross-border gun control was discussed publicly by the two leaders, but that did not necessarily mean any progress, Feliz said.

In Mexico, Obama promised to use existing U.S. laws to stop the flow of weapons to Mexico from the U.S. side. He also said he was urging the U.S. Senate to ratify an inter-American treaty, known as CIFTA, to curb small arms trafficking.

But Estevez of the Mexican Autonomous Technology Institute said that due to domestic opposition, Obama's proposals would face huge obstacles. "The U.S.-Mexican border is going to remain porous for a long time."