Press Releases 09
Bilateral Meeting on Merida Initiative
Mexico City, February 5, 2009 - On February 3, Mexican Under Secretary for North American Affairs Ambassador Carlos Rico hosted a U.S. interagency delegation, led by U.S. Embassy Chargé d’affaires Leslie Bassett and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the State Department’s bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement William McGlynn, for working level discussions on the full range of projects being jointly undertaken under the Merida Initiative. This plenary session, the organizational follow-on to the December 3 signing of the Letter of Agreement that allowed Merida funds to flow, and the December 19 High Level Consultation Meeting in Washington, D.C., was the first of many such sessions to come.
Bilateral working groups, co-chaired by Mexican and U.S. officials, will begin regular meetings to tackle the full scope of Merida projects, ranging from provision of equipment to training and capacity building. These groups will assess progress and make recommendations for future cooperation and collaboration. Working together, the United States and Mexico are committed to reducing the flow of illegal drugs, arms and cash, and increasing security in both our countries.
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