Former Mexican president says NAFTA should expand

By JEAN ORTIZ

Columbus Telegram - Nebraska

Tuesday, Nov 11, 2008

OMAHA, Neb. - Former Mexican President Vicente Fox said Tuesday the United States should explore ways to expand the North American Free Trade Agreement if it wants to strengthen its economy.

Fox, who served as president from 2000 to 2006, disputed claims that the trade deal involving Canada, America and Mexico has cost U.S. jobs.

"NAFTA has produced hundreds of thousands of jobs to this great nation, to the United States," he said in an interview with The Associated Press.

During the presidential campaign, Democratic President-elect Barack Obama said he wanted to re-examine the treaty.

Fox said he welcomes an examination because as president, Obama will have all the facts at his disposal.

Fox remains optimistic about an economic upswing, saying it will take a global effort to push through change.

"This will end up like trimming a tree, and two years from now we will be back to growth, most everywhere in the world, if we do the right job," he said.

The economy may be among many priorities facing Obama as he prepares to step into office, but Fox said immigration can't get lost among the issues.

Building a fence between the United States and Mexico is not the solution, Fox said. Immigration reform is needed to take into account both U.S. and Mexican perspectives.

Fox pointed to legislation introduced by Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy, which supporters saw as creating a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Critics blasted the plan, likening it to amnesty.

But Fox said it's solid and needed to bring resolution.

While in Omaha, Fox signed a deal to partner the Omaha-based Gallup with his Mexico-based Centro Fox, a center that's part presidential library and part educational initiative focused on leadership development.

Fox also spoke to a crowd of a few thousand Tuesday at the Orpheum Theater in Omaha. He plans to address the Greater Omaha Alliance for Business Ethics on Wednesday morning.

Also Wednesday, former first lady Marta Sahagún de Fox also was scheduled to speak about business leadership at Creighton University.

A service of the Associated Press(AP)

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