The President of Mexico, Ernesto Zedillo, and the Canadian Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, have both praised federalism as the best political system to guarantee democracy, pluralism and cultural diversity. But both stressed that national unity was also important. The two leaders were addressing an international conference on federalism being held at a ski resort Mont Tremblant in Quebec.
Correspondents note that both countries face separatist pressures.
The Zapatista rebel movement in Mexico has been calling for greater Indian rights for four years. And in a newspaper interview published on Wednesday, Quebec's inter-government affairs minister said Canadian law could have no effect on the process of the province's independence.