Rice to visit Mexico next week

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will vist Mexico next week for talks with her Mexican counterpart about organized crime as well as economic and other issues, her spokesman said Friday.

At the invitation of Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico October 22nd and 23," spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.

"The secretary will discuss a broad range of bilateral and international issues of mutual interest including US-Mexico cooperation in combating criminal groups under the Merida Initiative and joint cooperation to improve North American competitiveness," he said.

Under the Merida Initiative, the United States spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually to help Mexican and other central American law enforcement agencies fight criminal gangs which harm both the region and the United States.

The initiative "complements US domestic efforts to reduce drug demand, stop the flow of arms and weapons, and confront gangs and criminal organizations," according to the State Department website.

"The initiative also complements broader efforts by the Governments of Mexico and of Central America to engage on every front in the battle against organized crime," it added.

McCormack confirmed that Rice and her hosts would probably discuss "the global response to a global financial crisis" as well as "hemispheric issues, regional issues, global issues, you know, bilateral issues."

He did not elaborate.