Mexico's Fox visits Cuba

HAVANA -- Mexican President Vicente Fox faced perhaps his most difficult foreign policy dilemma yet as he traveled to Cuba Sunday for trade talks under pressure to meet with internal opposition groups -- a move that could damage relations with Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Fox was greeted Sunday by Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, then swept away to the Palace of the Revolution to be formally greeted by Castro before heading into private talks.

"This trip is very important for us," Fox told reporters at the airport. "We are doing this at the beginning of our administration because we want to tighten, we want to strengthen, our relationship with Cuba."

Mexico has described the 24-hour visit as "a working trip" focusing on ways to increase Mexican trade and investment with the island.

But at the same time, the United States and Fox's own conservative National Action Party are pressuring the Mexican leader to meet with Cuban dissidents. Trip organizers, citing Fox's tight schedule, said no such meetings were planned.