MEXICO CITY, July 20 (Xinhuanet) -- Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Derbez will start a two-day visit to Washington to meet US Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

    The visit aims at "continuing the dialogue with the US leaders and to solve bilateral issues between the two countries," Derbez said in a communique Tuesday.

    Derbez will also meet senators Richrd Lugar, chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Senate; Joseph Biden, vice chairman of this Committee, and Norm Coleman, chairman of the Sub-Committee for America.

    During the visit, Derbez will sign an agreement on labor protection with the US Labor Department and the other one on nutritional assistance with the Agriculture Department.

    According to the two agreements ,the Mexican government is to improve the living conditions of the Mexicans in the United States,the communique said.

    Over 20 million people of Mexican origin live in the United States, but nearly five million of them are illegal residents. Enditem