John McCain (r) gets a blessing from Monsignor Diego Monroy Ponce as Cindy McCain looks on at the Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico City, 03 Jul 2008
Republican presidential candidate John McCain has met with Mexican
President Felipe Calderon for talks on immigration and trade issues.
Their talks also covered bilateral relations as well as a
U.S.-sponsored effort to stem the flow of drugs and guns across the
Mexico border.
The meeting took place Thursday in Mexico City
after the Arizona senator toured the Basilica de Guadalupe, a major
center of worship for Catholics in the Mexican capital. Senator McCain
visited Mexico as part of a trip aimed at showcasing his foreign policy
credentials. He also has been highlighting his support for free trade
agreements.
McCain traveled to Mexico from Colombia, where he
met with President Alvaro Uribe. The Arizona senator supports a U.S.
free trade deal between Colombia and the United States, and he has
criticized Democratic rival Barack Obama's opposition to the agreement.
Many
congressional Democrats say they oppose the deal because of Colombia's
often-criticized record on human rights and labor union activity. Bush
administration officials have said that failure to adopt the agreement
will harm U.S. credibility in Latin America.
Senator Obama has announced plans to visit Europe and the Middle East later this year.
The
Obama campaign has confirmed stops in Jordan, Israel, Germany, France
and the United Kingdom. Obama has said the trip will give him an
opportunity to assess the situation in countries that are critical to
U.S. national security, and to consult with friends and allies about
common challenges.
His aides would not confirm if the Illinois senator will visit Iraq and Afghanistan.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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