The governors of Zacatecas (Amalia García), Guerrero (Zeferino Torreblanca) and Michoacán (Lázaro Cárdenas) traveled to Guadalajara to meet with Calderón as part of his Mexico 2030 assemblies.

The three PRD governors recognized "broad ideological differences," but insisted that the institutional relationship between state and federal governments required their participation in Tuesday´s forum.

"Our objective is to work for the good of the country and for our states in particular," said García. "This is a reflection of our democratic conviction and our republican sensibilities.

"That is why I am here today, and why I will continue to attend these events."

Calderón gave a nod to their attendance in his opening remarks.

"I know that we think differently, but in order to come to a consensus for a long-term vision on what is best for this country, these forums can afford space for our points of view to find common ground," he said. "Every person, every region, every party and every sector embraces their own particular vision that is a critical element in Mexico´s collective vision.

"For my part, I guarantee the full support of the federal government in achieving success for this region."

Tuesday´s assembly was the third of Calderón´s Mexico 2030 project and the forum brought together five other governors from the region: Jesús Silverio Cavazos (Colima); Ney González (Nayarit); Manuel Oliva (Guanajuato); Armando Reynoso (Aguascalientes) and Francisco Ramírez (Jalisco).

The project is aimed at stimulating proposals for long-term welfare and to strive for consensus on the larger issues.