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Mexico leader in US border talks Mexico voices US border concerns
(about 10 hours later)
Mexican President-elect Felipe Calderon is in Washington for talks with President George W Bush and the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. Mexican President-elect Felipe Calderon has met US President George W Bush to voice concern over US plans to fence off part of the two countries' border.
It is Mr Calderon's first visit to the White House since beating left-wing challenger Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico's recent close-run election. Mr Bush later said he had assured the visiting Mexican leader the two countries would co-operate closely.
Topping the talks agenda will be the US' plan to construct a security fence along the two countries' shared border. As well as migration issues, the two men discussed free trade and efforts to curb drug trafficking.
In October Mr Bush signed the plan into law despite strong Mexican opposition. Mr Calderon had earlier said he hoped the Democrats' new majority in Congress would boost US immigration reforms.
Washington is hoping that the plan will stem the tide of illegal immigrants into the US. Mr Calderon was making his first visit to the White House since beating left-wing challenger Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico's recent close-run election.
An estimated 1.2 million illegal immigrants were arrested last year trying to cross into the US via the border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. His visit follows mid-term elections this week that saw Mr Bush's Republican Party lose control of both houses of Congress.
[We need] bridges for progress and not walls that isolate and divide Felipe Calderon About 11 million Mexicans are thought to live in the US, more than six million of them illegally. 'Deplorable' fence
Mr Calderon has called the planned 700-mile (1,125km) border fence "deplorable", and even made comparisons to the Berlin Wall. Mr Calderon said he had used the meeting with President Bush to express his concern over the US stance on immigration.
[We need] bridges for progress and not walls that isolate and divide Felipe Calderon
"President Bush was very open to all the arguments that I presented to him," he said.
Mr Calderon has called US plans to build a 700-mile (1,125km) border fence "deplorable", and even made comparisons with the Berlin Wall.
Speaking at a gathering of Hispanic leaders in Washington, Mr Calderon said that the two countries needed "bridges for progress and not walls that isolate and divide".Speaking at a gathering of Hispanic leaders in Washington, Mr Calderon said that the two countries needed "bridges for progress and not walls that isolate and divide".
The border "should not be a zone of barbed wire, but a zone of opportunities," Mr Calderon added.The border "should not be a zone of barbed wire, but a zone of opportunities," Mr Calderon added.
Mid-terms effect Conservative criticism
Mr Calderon's visit comes in the wake of a bruising mid-term election for the Republican Party and the Bush administration. Mr Bush signed the plan for a fence into law despite strong Mexican opposition in October.
BBC Americas analyst Will Grant says it is too early to say how the new Democrat majority in Congress will affect plans for the border fence. Washington is hoping that the plan will stem the tide of illegal immigrants into the US.
About 11 million Mexicans are thought to live in the US, more than six million of them illegally.
An estimated 1.2 million illegal immigrants were arrested last year trying to cross into the US via the border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
BBC Americas analyst Will Grant says it is too early to say how the new Democratic majority in Congress will affect plans for the border fence.
In order to get the bill through, Mr Bush had to calm conservative fears over his plans for a guest-worker programme which opponents said was akin to an amnesty for illegal immigrants.In order to get the bill through, Mr Bush had to calm conservative fears over his plans for a guest-worker programme which opponents said was akin to an amnesty for illegal immigrants.
A Democrat-led Congress will certainly be more sympathetic to the guest-worker idea, our correspondent adds, they will also probably ask Mr Bush the difficult questions about the barrier's funding.A Democrat-led Congress will certainly be more sympathetic to the guest-worker idea, our correspondent adds, they will also probably ask Mr Bush the difficult questions about the barrier's funding.