Leaders vow to build on 'NAFTA's success'

OTTAWA, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- The leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico said Tuesday they are cooperating to make North America more competitive in the global economy.

In a joint statement after the North American summit near Ottawa, U.S. President George Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon said the three countries "must build on NAFTA’s success and reduce unnecessary trade barriers to ensure North America remains a competitive and a dynamic place to do business."

The North American Free Trade Agreement established a free-trade zone in North America and took effect in 1994.

But in a joint news conference after Tuesday's meeting, Calderon warned that globalization "is definitely pressuring the competitiveness of our countries and not only countries but the competitiveness of the countries that have joined into regions."

The three North American countries "have to act together in order not only to improve the quality of life of our people but also to prevent the fast integration process that we've seen in other parts of the world -- Asia, Europe, very specifically. We don't want … this to displace our producers and displace opportunities for our consumers."

The joint statement said the three countries, at a ministerial level, have completed a plan to combat avian and pandemic influenza, a regulatory cooperation framework, an intellectual property protection strategy and an agreement for cooperation in energy science and technology.