President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico will visit President Obama at the White House on Tuesday, Nov. 27, the White House announced Monday.
They plan to discuss a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues during their Oval Office meeting, according to the White House announcement.
“The United States remains committed to work in partnership with Mexico to increase economic competitiveness in both countries, promote regional development, advance bilateral efforts to develop a secure and efficient 21st Century Border, and address our common security challenges,’’ the U.S. announcement said.
Last week, Peña Nieto wrote on his Twitter page that he was looking forward to working with Obama:
Hablé con el Presidente @barackobama para felicitarlo por su reciente triunfo electoral. — Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) November 14, 2012
“I spoke with the President @BarackObama to congratulate him on his recent election victory.”
Coincidimos en la importancia de construir una estrecha relación, tanto institucional como personal, en favor de ambos países. — Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) November 14, 2012
“We agree on the importance of building a close relationship, both institutional and personal, for both countries.”
Acordamos trabajar para ampliar la agenda bilateral y tratarla durante mi próxima visita a los Estados Unidos de América. — Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) November 14, 2012
“We agreed to work to expand the bilateral agenda and treat it during my next visit to the United States of America.”
The two leaders will likely discuss the implications for the Mexican battle against drug cartels of the voter-approved measures in Colorado and Washington that would decriminalize marijuana use.
Shortly after the U.S. election on Nov. 6, Peña Nieto’s top adviser Luis Videgaray told the Washington Post that legalizing pot “changes the rules of the game in the relationship with the United States.”
Videgaray expressed concerns over controlling a product that had different legal statuses between the two countries.
Peña Nieto will replace Mexico’s outgoing president, Felipe Calderon Hinojosa. Peña Nieto’s ascent to presidency marks the resurgence of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) after 12 years under the National Action Party. When he takes office Dec. 1, Peña Nieto will succeed Mexico’s outgoing president, Felipe Calderon Hinojosa.
Peña Nieto and the PRI have already begun proposing reforms, including a proposal to reduce the number of ministries in the Mexican government. He has also proposed the creation of a new anti-corruption agency to replce the Public Function Ministry and a new ministry for urban and agricultural development.