Noting the huge trading partnership among the three neighbors, Obama said that commerce must be expanded, not restricted.
Wrapping up a North American summit Monday afternoon, Obama joined Mexican President Felipe Calderón and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for a news conference after about two hours of talks.
Noting the huge trading partnership among the three neighbors, Obama said that commerce must be expanded, not restricted.
The president also emphasized a need for orderly and legal immigration, a sensitive issue on all borders.
"But ultimately I think the American people want fairness," he said. "And we can create a system in which you have strong border security, we have an orderly process for people to come in, but we're also giving an opportunity for those who are already in the United States to be able to achieve a pathway to citizenship so that they don't have to live in the shadows and their children and their grandchildren can have a full participation in — in the United States."
On Mexico's turf, Obama backed Calderón and his efforts to take on drug cartels during a spiraling war on drugs and guns. Washington is debating whether to withhold money to help fight the powerful cartels because of allegations that the Mexican military has been guilty of human rights abuses.
Obama said he had great confidence that under Calderón "human rights will be observed."
Calderón said the Mexican government has an "absolute and categorical" commitment to human rights.
On commerce, Obama said that a "Buy America" provision in the giant economic stimulus package earlier this year had not hurt trade with Canada. "I do think it's important to keep this in perspective," Obama said. "This in no way has endangered the billions of dollars in trade taking place between our two countries."
As for health care, he said the Canadian system had evolved differently from the one in the USA and that it would not work in the U.S. He said the "vigorous debate" unfolding at home over health care was itself healthy — but he also said he hoped that "more sensible and reasoned arguments will emerge" as the legislation heads toward possible votes this fall.
In a written statement, they pledged a united effort on economic recovery, trade, swine flu and climate change. A statement from the leaders said their nations offered a "joint, responsible and transparent" response to the spreading swine flu threat.
They men spoke at the end of a swift North American Leaders' Summit, an annual gathering launched during George W. Bush's presidency. The gathering typically yields fresh promises of coordination on many issues but no breakthroughs or initiatives.
The leaders renewed calls for the restoration of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in a June 28 coup.
Obama blasted critics who said the United States should intervene in the government dispute on Honduras: "The same critics who say that the United States has not intervened enough in Honduras are the same people who say that we're always intervening and the Yankees need to get out of Latin America. You can't have it both ways."
The North American leaders also tried to coordinate plans to minimize the severity of the H1N1 flu virus as school begins, said John Brennan, an Obama adviser on homeland security.
The virus has flared up again in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas after an initial outbreak that began in Mexico in April spread rapidly worldwide. Swine flu has killed 149 people in Mexico and infected 17,730. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there have been 436 swine flu deaths and an estimated 1 million cases.
World health officials are worried it may evolve into a more dangerous strain during the winter flu season. "There are people who are going to be getting sick in the fall and die," Brennan said.
Meanwhile, drug-related violence in Mexico has been increasing even after Calderón began dispatching troops to confront drug traffickers in December 2006. As many as 4,000 people have died in drug-related violence this year, up 65% from the 2,422 killed in the same period in 2008, according to an unofficial tally by El Universalnewspaper.
Harper said Sunday that Canada will increase its aid to Mexico's anti-drug fight by bringing 300 Mexican police officers and 32 commanders to the Canadian Police College for training.
The U.S. has pledged $1.4 billion to help Mexico battle its drug cartels, but Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., threatened last week to withhold part of that money because of possible human rights abuses by Mexico's military.
During their meeting Sunday, Calderón urged Obama to resurrect a program to allow some Mexican trucks onto U.S. highways as part of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, Calderón's office said. Mexico has retaliated by imposing tariffs on $2.4 billion of U.S. goods.
Calderón urged Harper to reverse the visa rule for Mexican visitors, saying it prevented thousands from traveling to Canada in July, Calderón's office said.
Contributing: Chris Hawley, the Latin America correspondent for USA TODAY and The Arizona Republic and the Associated Press.
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