The leaders of the US, Canada and Mexico on Wednesday pledged to build a new “North American Alliance for Prosperity and Security” in an effort to bolster anti-terrorism measures and improve the flow of trade between the three countries.

President George W. Bush also pledged to continue to attempt to pass his proposed guest-worker programme for migrants through Congress, an important policy for Mexico. However, all three leaders acknowledged at the end of their summit in Waco, Texas, that differences persisted particularly over US-Mexico migration, and over Canadian beef exports to the US.