North American leaders discuss immigration, economy, trade, drug cartels, swine flu & more in Mexico

President Barack Obama is in Guadalajara, Mexico for the North American Leaders Summit. He's meeting with Mexico's President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to discuss immigration, the economy, trade, swine flu, drug cartels and cooperation amongst the three countries. The leaders addressed some of these issues at a joint press conference today. Speaking through a translator, President Calderon:

“I am certain that the next G20 in Pittsburgh will be a great opportunity to build the necessary agreements to reform these organizations that are key in the recovery of our economies..and likewise the United States, Mexico and Canada have to restart our agreements, we recognize that it is essential to abide by NAFTA and to resolve the pending topics that impede us from reaching greater regional competitiveness...“

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said energy and climate change are also issue the three leaders are discussing.

“Given the integrated of our economies we did talk on some length about the importance of working together on a North American approach to climate change.  And also on doing our best to ensure that out of Copenhagen and going forward we reach an effective and genuinely international new world protocol on greenhouse gas emissions.”

Talks between the three leaders began in Guadalajara on Sunday. Several hundred people gathered to protest the meeting, and specifically NAFTA, immigration policy and the lack of pensions for Mexican workers who had money withheld from their paychecks while employed in the US during World War II. Riot police and armed federal agents set up road blocks to keep the demonstrators at a distance from the site of the presidential meetings.

This is Obama's second trip to Mexico during his presidency. He called the summit productive:

“First we agreed that we have to work together to restore our common prosperity. The global recession has cost jobs and hurt families from Toronto, to Toledo to Tijuana. So we renew our commitment to work together in Ottawa, Washington and Mexico City…”

Obama said his administration will continue to move toward fixing the broken immigration system - but offered no specific details for an immigration reform plan.