US, Mexican presidents discuss trade, immigration, Cuba

U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday met with his Mexican counterpart Enrique Pena Nieto at the White House over issues including security, immigration and Cuba.

Obama said he raised the fate of 43 Mexican students, who disappeared on Sept. 26 following clashes with police linked with drug gang members in the city of Iguala in Mexico's violence-torn southern state of Guerrero, as the event has drawn attention both at home and abroad.

"Our commitment is to be a friend and supporter of Mexico in its efforts to eliminate the scourge of violence and the drug cartels that are responsible for so much tragedy inside of Mexico, " the American leader told reporters after his meeting with Pena Nieto.

Obama also spoke of his efforts to fix "broken" U.S. immigration system and lauded Mexico's help in addressing the issue of unaccompanied children flooding into the United States.

Bypassing an uncooperative Congress, Obama unveiled a number of measures in November offering temporary legal status to some five million people living in the U.S. illegally, with a majority of them being Mexicans.

The U.S. saw a spike in unaccompanied children, mostly from Central American states, over the summer, but Obama said the numbers have been reduced back to "much more manageable levels" in part due to Mexico's "strong" efforts including at its southern border.

Obama said a detente in U.S.-Cuba relations was part of his discussions with Pena Nieto, in which he voiced hope for a "more constructive policy" toward Cuba and stated his intention to continue to focus on human rights, democracy and political freedom inside the island country.

U.S. and Cuba moved on Dec. 17 to normalize relations following a bitter rivalry that had lasted for more than half a century, with an American embassy expected to be reestablished in Havana within months.

The Mexican president thanked Obama for his "very intelligent and audacious decision" on immigration and promised to help the Mexican immigrants in the U.S. to obtain needed documentation including birth certificates.

He praised Obama's efforts in restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba, saying "We have offered our desire, our hope to collaborate in this effort so that as soon as possible you can continue with this re-establishment of relations with Cuba and that you can accomplish all the purposes you have set up to accomplish."

Pena Nieto's visit was his first to the U.S. as president. He visited the White House in November 2012 as president-elect.

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