Mexican president arrives in Los Angeles
Mexican President Vicente Fox arrived here Friday afternoon in advance of a planned visit with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to discuss tourism and trade-- but not immigration.

Villaraigosa greeted Fox at Los Angeles International Airport where the Mexican leader arrived at around 1 p.m. and they are scheduled to meet later in the day.

This is Fox's first visit to California since 2001.

According to Villaraigoga, two-way trade between Mexico and the greater Los Angeles area was estimated at 25 billion dollars in 2005, supporting some 42,000 jobs in the United States.

And last year, about 1.5 million Mexican citizens visited Los Angeles, spending 1.5 billion dollars. he said.

``The economic ties between Mexico and Los Angeles are broad in scope and pay dividends on both sides of the border,'' Villaraigosa told a news conference Thursday.

Villaraigosa said he would also discuss with Fox a plan to form an Office of International Trade in Los Angeles so the city can boost trade with Mexico, Central America, Korea, China and Taiwan.

Fox has been the target of criticism over the issue of illegal immigration, but Villaraigosa said he will not raise that topic with the Mexican leader, stressing that the issue of immigration is outside his control.

Fox's visit to Los Angeles comes on the heels of the U.S. Senate 's approval of a bill that calls for tougher border security while giving millions of illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship.

Villaraigosa said such discussions are better left between Fox and members of the federal government.

Fox called the Senate's vote on immigration policy a ``monumental step forward'' during a joint session of the California Legislature Thursday.

Fox also said he's working to improve Mexico's economy ``so migration won't be a necessity.''

Villaraigosa said tourism and trade between Mexico and California could suffer as Bush prepares to send thousands of National Guard troops to the border.