Biden hosts Mexican, Canadian leaders for North American summit

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden hosted his counterparts from Mexico and Canada on Thursday for the first North American summit in five years as they sought to hash out differences on major issues, including immigration, trade and climate change.

Biden praised Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, emphasizing that the leaders can address the challenges in their relationship "if we just take the time to speak with one another -- by working together."

"We have to drive an inclusive economic recovery and make sure all of our people share in the benefits, have to manage the challenges of unprecedented migration into our hemisphere, and to take on inequity that continues to deny opportunity to too many people," he said at the White House.

"As leaders, we share an innate understanding that our diversity is an enormous strength, that we are best able to reach our potential when we unleash the full range of our people's talents," he added.

The gathering of North America's leaders was an annual occurrence before former President Donald Trump came to office, and its resumption included separate meetings between Biden and Lopez Obrador and Trudeau and meetings between Vice President Kamala Harris and the Mexican and Canadian leaders.

Amid an ongoing breakdown in the global supply chain, the leaders agreed to form a trilateral coordination mechanism that the White House said would be tasked with defining "essential industries to minimize future disruptions, recognizing that North America needs resilient, sustainable, diverse, and secure supply chains to ensure our economic prosperity and security."

The leaders also agreed to work on improving vaccine access in Latin America, the Caribbean and globally, according to a White House statement.

Differences between the US and Mexico on migration were not mentioned by the executive mansion, but it noted that the leaders agreed to create a regional strategy to reduce methane emissions, particularly from the oil and gas sectors.