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GUADALAJARA, Mexico: US President Barack Obama and the leaders of Canada and Mexico vowed Monday to battle H1N1 flu, murderous drugs gangs and economic recession together in a friendly North American summit.
But despite the warm feelings, there were few signs of major breakthroughs on contentious issues at the swift summit between Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
But the leaders did promise to forge a joint position on climate change to push for global action on cutting greenhouse gas emissions at the UN Copenhagen summit later this year.
"We come here today, three nations, one continent, because of the challenges and opportunities that we will be facing together," Obama said.
In a final summit communique, the leaders agreed to fuse their efforts to fight an expected return of (A)H1N1 flu in the coming Northern Hemisphere winter, and to seek joint ways to fight the blight of economic recession.
Calderon also won a warm endorsement from Harper and Obama for his attempt to curtail drugs cartels which have unleashed a wave of murderous violence in Mexico which is beginning to bleed over into its neighbours.
"I heartily comment President Calderon and his government for their determination and courage in taking on these cartels," Obama said, adding that his host had pledged to respect human rights in the war on drugs.
Harper added: "Canada, the United States and Mexico are good neighbors and good friends ... we are independent and interdependent."
The three leaders, each facing political pressure over their crisis-mired economies, also had one eye on the new measures to kick-start the global financial system ahead of the G20 economic summit in Pittsburgh next month.
The three leaders also reaffirmed that ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya remained the rightful leader of his country.
"President Zelaya remains the democratically elected president and, for the sake of the Honduran people, democratic and constitutional order must be restored," Obama said.
"Our three nations stand united on this issue."
But Obama and Calderon apparently failed to make a breakthrough on a trucking dispute which has seen Mexico hit back at the US cancellation of a programme allowing some Mexican trucks on its territory - in violation of NAFTA - by slapping some 2.4 billion dollars in tariffs on 89 US products in March.
A dominant theme of the talks was rampaging violence, killings and drugs crime which has killed thousands of people in Mexico since 2008 and is infiltrating the criminal underworld in Canada and the United States.
The United States - the world's top cocaine consumer - has agreed to send Mexico 1.4 billion dollars worth of aid and equipment for the drugs wars, under the three-year Merida Initiative, which awaits full approval from Congress.
More drugs violence on Sunday formed a bloody backdrop to the summit.
Drug cartels are believed responsible for 12 other murders since Saturday night in the dangerous US-Mexico border region - including in Ciudad Juarez, where authorities discovered a male victim with his head and genitals severed.
Canada said on Sunday that it would boost training by its Mounted Police for Mexican officers as part of a new, 15-million-dollar security program for the Americas.
US trade with Canada is worth 1.5 billion dollars a day in goods and around 300,000 people cross the shared border every day.
The United States is crucial to Mexico's economy, having bought 82 percent of its neighbour's exports in 2007, according to US government figures.
Like the United States, Mexico is plumbing a deep recession, with much of its industry tied to the struggling US sectors, including cars and construction - and migrant workers north of the border sending less money home. - AFP/de
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