On April 16, President Obama made his first trip to Mexico and his first to Latin America to
highlight and reinforce the United States? commitment to work with Mexico on a broad range of
issues, in particular on meeting our shared security challenges. The United States and Mexico
are committed to a new approach in our bilateral relationship based on comprehensive engagement
and shared responsibility. The President discussed with President Calderon a number of
important steps the United States intends to take to deepen the cooperation we have with Mexico
as our neighbor and partner. 
Security
 

?Merida Initiative.  The Merida Initiative is a $1.4 billion, multi-year package that aims to
strengthen regional security cooperation with Mexico and the nations of Central America, the
Dominican Republic and Haiti in their fight against drug and arms trafficking and other
transnational organized crimes.  For Mexico, the U.S. Congress has provided $700 million of the
$1.4 billion multi-year commitment.  The Fiscal Year 2009 Spring Supplemental includes $66
million to procure urgently needed Blackhawk helicopters to transport Mexican soldiers
combating cartel activities.  The Fiscal Year 2010 budget request includes $450 million for the
next tranche of funding.  Should Congress fully fund these requests, we anticipate requesting
the remaining funding to fulfill the U.S. commitment in future budgets.
?Arms Trafficking.  The United States and Mexico each have Integrated Ballistic Identification
Systems (IBIS) that store digital photos and arms-related information related to criminal
investigations. The United States and Mexico will bridge their IBIS systems in order to share
digital images, ballistic markings, other arms-related information to help identify leads in
violent crimes both in Mexico and in the United States.  The President will also urge the
United States Senate to provide its advice and consent in order to ratify the Inter-American
Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition,
Explosives, and Other Related Materials.
?Kingpin Designation for Cartels. To undermine the financial underpinnings of Mexico?s
cartels, on April 15 the President identified the Sinaloa Cartel, Los Zetas, and La Familia
Michoacana as Significant Foreign Narcotics Traffickers, exposing them and their associates to
financial sanctions under the U.S. Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.  The United
States and Mexico also agreed to deepen their cooperation on financial investigations and to
share financial intelligence to target the drug cartels.
Energy and Climate Change 

?Bilateral Framework on Clean Energy and Climate Change.  Building on the President?s January
2009 conversation with President Calderon, the United States and Mexico agree to launch a
Bilateral Framework on Clean Energy and Climate Change. This framework will enhance our
cooperation on clean energy and climate by establishing a formal mechanism for collaboration
and information exchange and demonstrates high-level support for joint efforts to achieve clean
energy economies. The Framework reinforces our work in the Major Economies Forum for Energy and
Climate and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as complements the Energy
and Climate Partnership for the Americas, which will be announced in coming days at the Summit
of the Americas.