AMERICA:US president George Bush assured the leaders of Canada and Mexico yesterday that the United States wants to build closer ties, despite the distraction of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and differences over immigration and the Arctic.
Bush, Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper and Mexican president Felipe Calderón pledged closer economic and security relationships, but did not shy away from expressing disagreements at what was dubbed the "Three Amigos Summit".
The gathering aimed to reanimate friendships among the North American neighbours that critics say the US neglected after the September 11th attacks.
Mr Bush said the US was discussing a "robust" package of aid with Mexico to help combat drug trafficking.
Mr Calderón said he told Mr Bush that Mexico did not want American soldiers on the ground as part of any drug enforcement strategy, as has happened in other countries. Mexico has been frustrated by increasingly tough US border policies and by the collapse in Congress of a push to overhaul US immigration laws.
Mr Bush said border and migration were "complicated" issues. The three leaders expressed confidence in their financial systems despite recent turmoil in US markets. "Fundamentals of the US economy are strong," Mr Bush said at a news conference following the summit.
Mr Calderón cut his trip to Canada short to deal with fallout from Hurricane Dean which hit Mexico's Caribbean coast.
Both Mr Harper and Mr Calderón are interested in furthering a trade relationship, although neither wants to appear too close to Mr Bush, who is unpopular in both of their countries.
Mr Harper discussed Canadian concerns about Russia's symbolic laying claim to the North Pole, where it placed a flag on the seabed. Canada claims sovereignty over the Northwest Passage of the Arctic, but the US views it as an international strait.
On Afghanistan, where Canada has 2,600 troops, Mr Harper appears to have resigned himself to pulling out the troops by February 2009.