Mexico Says Obama to Visit in May

U.S. President Barack Obama will visit Mexico in May, accepting an invitation from President Enrique Pena Nieto to discuss security, immigration and trade, the Mexican government said Wednesday.

The two leaders, who held telephone talks on Wednesday, will meet during the first week of May in a gathering that will "reaffirm the strategic importance of the bilateral relationship," the foreign ministry said.

The ministry said the two nations are looking for ways to expand cooperation within North America and on the global stage. The two leaders plan to discuss competitivity, education, immigration, border issues, trade and security.

Pena Nieto held talks with Obama in Washington in November, before the elected Mexican leader was sworn in for a six-year term.

The two nations have massive trade ties within the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which includes Canada.

The United States is also backing Mexico's effort to combat drug trafficking through the $1.9 billion Merida Initiative, an assistance program that has included law enforcement training and equipment such as Black Hawk helicopters.