WASHINGTON (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will meet Mexico's President Felipe Calderón next week at the White House to discuss Mexico's ongoing drug war efforts, the White House said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The President is deeply committed to the strong partnership the United States has with Mexico. I think that is the reason for the meeting," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

"We admire the commitment and sacrifices of the Mexican people as they confront the criminal organizations that have brought so much violence to Mexico, specifically on those issues which I know have been in the news. But this is a vital and important relationship with an important ally," he added.

The office of Mexico's president confirmed that the meeting will take place on March 3 to deepen the "dialogue on priority issues and regional and international issues of common interest." This will be the fifth bilateral meeting since January 2009.

The statement added that President Calderón will continue the dialogue that the government of Mexico has developed with the U.S. Congress. He will meet with Speaker of the House John Boehner.

"The U.S. Congress plays an important role in many issues of interest to both nations, including economic relations, cooperation against transnational organized crime and the conditions faced by Mexican communities and of Mexican origin in the United States," the office of the president said.

Calderón will also meet with U.S. business leaders.

(Copyright 2011 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)