THE FOURTH MEETING OF THE MEXICO-UNITED STATES MERIDA HIGH-LEVEL CONSULTATIVE GROUP

The Foreign Ministry reports that the fourth meeting of the Mexico-U.S. Merida High-Level Consultative Group will be held on September 18th in Washington, DC. The participants will take stock of the progress made in implementing the Merida Initiative and will discuss bilateral cooperation against transnational crime overall. The group’s agenda centers on four broad areas of cooperation:
 
1) Dismantling the criminal organizations that operate on both sides of the border
 
2) Strengthening the institutions responsible for combating organized crime
 
3) Building a secure and competitive border for the 21st century
 
4) Building strong and resilient communities in both countries
 
The High Level Group is a cabinet-level group that has met since 2008. It is a reflection of both governments’ commitment to strengthening cooperation in this area based on the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust and respect for sovereignty and the national actions of each country to deal with drug trafficking, arms trafficking, money laundering and demand reduction.
 
The Mexican government reiterates its commitment to international cooperation as an essential part of its national efforts to fight transnational organized crime.