The heads of state for the United States, Mexico, and Canada met in the Mexican industrial town of Toluca on Wednesday, to mark the beginning of the North American Leaders’ (“Three Amigos”) Summit. The summit, which coincided with the 20th anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), aimed to improve trade relations between the nations.
The summit has focused on trade, immigration reform, and energy, amid concern that after 20 years, NAFTA is due for an upgrade to compensate for the current globalized environment. Obama, though, has been somewhat limited to any changes, since he doesn’t have congressional support for his proposed “fast-track” trade authority.
Unresolved tensions also exist between the countries. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto is still searching for answers after revelations of NSA spying on him before he was elected. For Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has voiced his frustration with the amount of time Obama’s administration is taking to approve the Keystone XL pipeline.
Sources: Edmonton Journal, Christian Science Monitor.