In Search of an Understanding with the United States

In this essay, Juan Rebolledo Gout analyzes the historical background of the Mexico-United States relationship in the last two centuries, and emphasizes that, despite the differences that have arisen during this period, both nations have recognized that their proximity leads to daily contact, which needs to develop under the best possible conditions, entailing the need for a “new understanding” bilaterally. The closing of the gap between the government of Mexico and that of the United States, the author explains, began a decade ago in the terrain of economy, and continued in other aspects of the bilateral agenda. During the 1994-2000 government, 22 treaties were signed, 46 inter-institutional agreements, and around 35 bilateral labor mechanisms were created; one of the most important agreements was the delimitation of the continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. We should mention that there are also problems perceived as “unresolvable”, for example, migration, drug trafficking, the environmental dilemmas, and some regional and multilateral matters, where there has also been progress. According to the author, the qualitative change in bilateral relations, the “new understanding”, was based on four large criteria: the creation of bilateral rules that offered mechanisms for administrating cooperation and conflict, and that reduced uncertainty; a global concept of the relationship that would allow differentiated handling of each topic, thus preventing conflictive matters affecting the rest of the relationship; the adoption of longterm objectives; and the decision to be apprised of and give priority to high-level political opinions to avoid surprises in the relationship. According to the author, the result is positive, since advances have been concrete and dialogue fluid.