Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America

Over the weekend, President Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and Mexican President Vicente Fox met in Texas to form a "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America". President Bush hopes the agreement will "generate momentum for an expanded hemispheric trading partnership in both North and South America...a particular focus will be improving implementation of the 12-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, which has been subject to disputes," according to the Wall Street Journal. The three North American economies want to band together amid growing competition from other regions of the world. Security was also a topic of discussion. Working groups from the three countries will now meet to solicit ideas from businesses and governments at the state and local level.