Mexico wants U.S. ties to focus on economy, education, not drugs

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico must give greater priority to economic cooperation and education in relations with the United States rather than allowing the fight against organized crime to take centre stage, a senior Mexican official said on Monday.

Mexico has spent the past six years locked in a bloody fight with powerful drug cartels whose killings, kidnappings and extortion have marred the country's image, particularly in the United States, where it ships nearly 80 percent of its exports.