Merida, Mexico ? Mexican President Felipe Calderon chided President Bush on Tuesday for trying to build a wall between their two countries and lamented that the American leader never made Mexico the priority he once promised it would become during his presidency.

As he welcomed Bush for their first meeting since taking office in December, Calderon set a polite but firm tone, raising some of the toughest issues in U.S.-Mexican relations. The comments, at a ceremony for Bush’s arrival, underscored the difficulties that may lie ahead in two days of talks between the leaders.

Among the top issues was U.S. legislation, signed by Bush last year, authorizing 700 miles of fencing and other barriers along the U.S.-Mexican border. Calderon acknowledged that a better way to halt illegal immigration would be for his government to improve social and economic conditions in Mexico, so that his people do not feel driven to head north to support their families.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon, left, gestures as he walks with President Bush and archeologist Tomas Gallareta during a tour of the Mayan ruins of Uxmal on Tuesday in the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico. President Bush met with Calderon on his visit to Mexico, the last stop in a five country Latin America tour.

Mexicans respect Americans’ right to decide how to handle their security, Calderon said. “But at the same time, we do consider in a respectful way that it would be better to stop the migration by building a kilometer of highway in Michoacan or Zacatecas than 10 kilometers of walls in the border.”

In another pointed remark, Calderon recalled how Bush had promised as a candidate in 2000 to put Mexico at the top of his foreign policy agenda. “Unfortunately, the terrible happenings against the United States people made that – in a very understandable way, the priorities changed,” he said, referring to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. “Nevertheless, I believe that it is now time to retake the spirit of those words and to direct our relationship toward a path of mutual prosperity.”

While vowing to fight drug-running in his country, Calderon also pointed out the U.S. responsibility for stopping the demand. “To be successful in our struggle,” he said, “we need the collaboration and the active participation of our neighbor, knowing that while there is no reduction in demand in your territory, it will be very difficult to reduce the supply in ours.”

Bush has acknowledged that the United States needs to do more to reduce the domestic demand for drugs, but he defended the border barrier during a stop in Guatemala on Monday as a reasonable means of enforcing immigration laws. He did not directly rebut Calderon during their short ceremony at the Hacienda Temozon, a 350-year-old farm-turned-hotel in Temozon Sur, about 28 miles from here, but promised to push for immigration legislation at home that would address their mutual problems.

“I respect your views on migration,” Bush said. “Because we’re working together, I believe we will make good progress on this important issue.”

He added: “My pledge to you and your government – but, more importantly, the people of Mexico – is I will work as hard as I possibly can to pass comprehensive immigration reform.”

The scratchy opening encounter foreshadowed a challenging relationship between the two leaders. Bush developed a personal rapport with Calderon’s predecessor, Vicente Fox.