1.
GV United States President Jimmy Carter's plane on tarmac in Mexico City.
0.10

2.
SV & TILT DOWN OF President Jimmy Carter and wife, Rosalynn walking down steps of aircraft and greeted by Mexican officials.
0.32

3.
GV Carter with Mexican officials.
0.42

4.
SV OF Mexican President Jose Lopez Portillo and Mrs Portillo applauding.
0.51

5.
GV President Carter and Mrs Carter standing at attention on tarmac.
1.04

6.
SV Mexican President and Mrs Portillo standing to attention.
1.17


Presidents Carter and Portillo are not expected to conclude any specific agreements. But they hope to reach a new understanding that will stress Mexico's emergence as a major power because of its huge oil reserves. They are potentially larger than Saudi Arabia's and the United States hopes to reduce its dependence on the Middle East for energy supplies.




Initials JS


TELERECORDING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: United States President Jimmy Carter receive a clear warning from Mexico on Wednesday (14 February) that it no longer considers itself a second rate power and must be treated with respect and dignity. President Carter arrived in Mexico City for three-days to talks with Mexican President, Jose Lopez Portillo. One point of resentment to be dealt with is the United States' Energy Secretary James Schlesinger's recent veto of a deal under which six U.S. companies planned to buy Mexican natural gas supplies.

SYNOPSIS: Jimmy Carter's trip to Mexico City comes against a background of increasing concern over world oil supplies. The United States is especially interested in Mexico's newly discovered vast reserves since the disruption to Iran's crude oil production. According to Reuters, Mr. Carter intends to try and develop a new relationship with Mexico's President Jose Lopez Portillo and settle questions about guaranteed oil and natural gas supplies and immigration problems.

Mr. Carter's welcome was described as friendly, but restrained. Mexican President Lopez Portillo told Mr. Carter that Mexico wanted to be dealt with on a basis of equal respect. In recent interviews the Mexican President has indicated that co-operation on oil depends on U.S. willingness to work out compromise solutions to the problem of illegal Mexican immigration into the United States. An estimated 500,000 to 800,000 Mexicans illegally enter the United States every year.

According to Reuters, Mexico, with a unemployment rate of nearly forty percent views the rush of many of its people across the border as a vital safety valve in the country's battle to raise living standards.