QUITO, Ecuador Mexico and Washington agreed to introduce similar legislative initiatives whereby Mexican workers who paid into Social Security in the United States will be refunded their contributions when they return to their homeland, President Vicente Fox said here Monday. "The initiatives entail the recognition of all those (Mexicans) who have worked in the United States legally or otherwise, so they will have the right to the savings they accumulated while working in the neighboring country," said Fox, who is visiting Ecuador.
During a news conference with Mexican journalists accompanying him on his travels, Fox announced that he and U.S. President George W. Bush agreed to simultaneously introduce in their respective Congresses what he dubbed the "Pay in Full" program initiatives.
Fox and Bush met in Santiago during the weekend summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
During their meeting, Fox said, the two leaders made "very valuable" advances in talks on a guest worker program for Mexicans in the United States.