Path: news.cs.columbia.edu!newsmaster.cc.columbia.edu!flute.clari.net!soprano.clari.net!clarinews
X-Fn: di/Uclinton-mexico.RhjJ_9FE
Distribution: cl-3,cl-edu,cl-4,cl-corp,cl-be
X-No-Archive: yes
From: C-upi@clari.net (UPI / PAUL BASKEN)
Newsgroups: clari.world.americas.mexico,clari.usa.gov.white_house,clari.world.americas.meso
Subject: Cheerful Clinton welcomed in Mexico
Keywords: US government, US federal, international, non-usa government,
	us border areas, economy, non-usa economy
Organization: Copyright 1999 by United Press International (via ClariNet)
Message-ID: <Uclinton-mexicoURhjJ_9FE@clari.net>
Lines: 76
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 18:11:59 PST
Location: Latin America, Mexico
ACategory: washington
Slugword: clinton-mexico
Threadword: clinton
Priority: regular
Format: regular
Approved: e.news@clari.net
Note: (NOTE: Adds details)
 (UPI Focus)
Xref: news.cs.columbia.edu clari.world.americas.mexico:11749 clari.usa.gov.white_house:32788 clari.world.americas.meso:11695

  	  				 
	MERIDA, Mexico, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- President Clinton, showing signs of  
long-suppressed levity at the end of his year-long impeachment ordeal, 
arrived in Mexico to a jubilant welcome from President Ernesto Zedillo 
and thousands of his countrymen. 
	The president, accompanied by first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton,  
received a red-carpet welcome at the Merida airport and headed downtown 
with a 24-member delegation of U.S. lawmakers to a reception and dinner 
hosted by Zedillo. 
	His motorcade traveled several miles to the Plaza Grande through  
thousands of Mexicans waving U.S. and Mexican flags and preprinted 
placards bearing photos of Clinton and Zedillo. Several bands played 
along while children and adults smiled and waved. 
	Clinton, who arrived in the early evening after a three-hour flight  
from Washington, made no public remarks at either location in Merida, an 
ancient city of tree-lined boulevards and spectacular colonial mansions 
located near the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. 
	He and Zedillo planned to meet Monday for several hours at a historic  
hotel outside the city, both by themselves and later with Cabinet-level 
advisers, then return to Merida to sign a joint declaration. 
	Clinton also was expected to address a group of business leaders and  
make his traditional visit while in foreign countries with members of 
the U.S. diplomatic community before returning to Washington late 
Monday. 
	Although aides insisted the president was avoiding any public  
celebration following his acquittal Friday by the Senate in his 
impeachment trial, the Clintons began their flight by walking together 
through the cabins of Air Force One handing out chocolates from a huge 
heart-shaped container. 
	Arriving together in the press cabin for one of their rare voluntary  
visits with the press, the Clintons offered the candy with broad smiles 
and greetings of ``Happy Valentines Day.'' The first lady described the 
box, containing perhaps hundreds of dark chocolates, as a gift from her 
brother, later identified by White House press secretary Joe Lockhart as 
Hugh Rodham. 
	Clinton at one point referred cheerfully to the gift as ``a better  
kind of heart of darkness.'' 
	The first lady also displayed a heart-shaped lapel pin that the  
president gave her as a Valentine's gift. 
	The Clintons were later described as sitting together in his on-board  
office, with the first lady perched on the president's lap. 
	Clinton originally planned the visit as part of a weeklong tour that  
also included stops in several Central American countries, but he 
postponed all but the Mexico stop until March to await his acquittal in 
the impeachment trial. 
	He was not expected to have time on his abbreviated visit to tour  
Merida or the nearby Mayan ruins of Uxmal and Chichen-Itza. 
	National security adviser Sandy Berger said Clinton, who tries to  
meet twice a year with his Mexican counterpart, will devote the visit to 
making ``steady, practical progress across the range of common interests 
that we have with Mexico.'' 
	U.S. officials anticipated no major new agreements between Clinton  
and Zedillo, although they predicted a series of deal-signings in such 
areas as trade, environmental protection, immigration, border safety and 
health care. 
	Clinton's visit on Sunday evening and Monday also comes days before  
he is due to make his annual March 1 decision on whether to add Mexico 
to the small list of countries deemed to be not cooperating in the fight 
against drugs. 
	In a predictable repeat of the debate over recent years, Clinton is  
likely to renew his certification of Mexico's drug-fighting efforts, and 
face criticisms from lawmakers who disagree and from Mexicans offended 
by the process. 
	The White House meanwhile reacted caustically to complaints that  
Clinton was taking sides in next year's presidential elections in Mexico 
by not scheduling a single meeting with opposition political leaders. 
	Several senators from the party National Action, which is the  
opposition to Zedillo's ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, known 
as the PRI, said they refused to travel to Merida after being told they 
only would be allowed to meet with members of the U.S. congressional 
delegation. 
	But a White House official ridiculed the complaint, saying Clinton  
planned to hold an open meeting with Mexican lawmakers at which he would 
be available to talk with members of all parties. 
  	   	

