By Samuel Peña Guzman
Foreign Investment Coodinator State of Nuevo Leon

As we all know last Wednesday, March 23, Presidents George W. Bush of the United States and Vicente Fox of Mexico and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin met in Texas.

I am fully convinced that in spite of having been questioned by several critics, North America Free Trade Agreement has brought great benefits to Mexico, and has even changed our relationship with the USA. Bilateral relations in the past were mainly focused on migration policies and fighting drug traffic, but also addressed the help received by Mexico from the United States due to the economic crises Mexico faced - foreign debt - before the nineties.

The relationship is different nowadays; it has changed though not completely. After all, the United States cannot ignore their south border when considering their safety policies. Mexico will still present a threat, even though of a different nature, to our north neighbors. This is, Mexico´s north border will continue to be an escape valve for our fellow citizens due to the lack of opportunities and the socio-economic conditions existing all over Mexico. Even if it is true that the problem cannot be immediately eradicated due to its complexity, trying to neutralize it as much as possible should be the final goal.

North America is nowadays a grouped and joined economy, not only geographically but with common projects and responsibilities, within NAFTA framework that joins all three countries, and which final purpose is to increase social welfare of citizens in the three countries.

The three countries have different obligations and needs; the economic differences between Mexico and the USA and Canada are not a secret to anyone. However, it is interesting to see that some of the fruit NAFTA has yielded is to have members of the private sector form task forces, namely the Council of Foreign Relations in the USA, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales -COMEXI, in Mexico. The latter provides a plural and multidisciplinary forum to discuss Mexico´s role abroad and the influence from NAFTA in domestic issues.

Mexico and Canada had been forced to give more attention to safety issues, especially after 9/11, because of the pressure received from the Bush Administration. On the other hand, all three Councils suggest a common agenda for North America in 2010; i.e., a community with a common economic zone and common tariffs, in addition to creating a safety external perimeter, that allows facing continental challenges and opportunities. This would lead to people and products´ moving legally and freely throughout North America, thanks to an ordered safety and an increase in competitiveness, which would bring sustainable development to the whole North America Region.

NAFTA´S success speaks by itself; trade flow among the three countries has been significantly increased since the Agreement was enforced more than 10 years ago. But social inequality has also increased in Mexico, translating into the social problems we have all heard of. Henceforth, the need for a sustainable development that translates into social welfare, mainly in Mexico, where there is a huge difference when compared to our north neighbors. The prosperity these Councils are pursuing lies precisely in implementing strategic public policies regarding North America Community. I think the three councils could become the strategic axis in the three nations and could also act as a regulator for the day-to-day problems faced in the relations of the three countries.

In Mexico, there has to be sustainable growth in the different sectors; also, benefits brought by NAFTA must reach the whole population; otherwise an economic development without social development will make no sense at all.