[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16475-16476]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 16475]]

ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY VICENTE FOX, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED MEXICAN 
                                 STATES

  (Portions of the following address were delivered in Spanish, with a 
simultaneous translation in English.)


  President FOX. Thank you. The applause in this room welcoming me has 
been heard by 100 million Mexicans which, in the name of them, I thank 
all of you for being so kind with us in Mexico.
  Honorable Members of the Congress of the United States of America, it 
is a distinct honor for me to meet you here in the oldest legislative 
assembly on the American continent, a Congress whose deliberations have 
such a strong influence not only on the history of this country, but of 
the entire world.
  This is an historic moment between our two nations in which the 
governments of Mexico and the United States have decided to begin a new 
era of friendship and cooperation to benefit both our peoples.
  Mexico and the United States wish to bring together our principles 
and interests, as well as our traditions and hopes. The meeting of our 
two countries at the dawning of this new century may represent the 
beginning of the most promising chapters in our common history.
  My presence in this Chamber bears witness to that will to bring our 
countries closer together. It is our very firm wish as Mexicans and 
Americans to establish a new relationship, a more mature, full and 
equitable relationship based on mutual trust.
  Honorable Members of the United States Congress, I stand before you 
today with a simple message. Trust needs to be the key element of our 
new relationship. I am aware that for many Americans and for many 
Mexicans the idea of trusting their neighbor may seem risky and perhaps 
even unwise. I am sure that many on both sides of the border would 
rather stick to the old saying that good fences make good neighbors.
  This perception has deep roots in history. In Mexico, they derive 
from a long-held sense of suspicion and apprehension about its powerful 
neighbor. And in the United States, they stem from previous experiences 
with a political regime governing Mexico which for the most part was 
regarded as undemocratic and untrustworthy.
  Our countries, thus, cautiously distanced themselves from one other 
to pursue this frame of mind; but circumstances have changed. We are 
now bound closely together, whether in trade or tourism, economic or 
family ties. Our links are countless and ever growing. No two nations 
are more important to the immediate prosperity and well-being of one 
another than Mexico and the United States.
  That is why our two great nations must go forward together to 
establish wider and deeper forms of cooperation and understanding. In 
this task, trust will be essential to achieve our goals. We must, 
therefore, leave behind the suspicion and indifference that have so 
often in the past been the source of misunderstandings between our two 
peoples, for it is only by engaging more fully as neighbors and 
partners that we can make a difference to our societies, and we now 
have before us a historic opportunity to achieve this end which has 
proved so elusive in the past.
  We intend to be forthright in our friendship and unwavering in our 
commitment. For as Corinthians states so simply and truly, it is 
required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 
The relationship between Mexico and the United States has changed in 
one fundamental way. True democracy in Mexico, for decades an 
unfulfilled dream, is now a reality.
  As a result of last year's vote, Mexico now has a legitimate and 
truly democratic leadership. This has meant a change in government, but 
it is also a reflection of a profound change in the values and 
aspirations of Mexican society. I am, therefore, determined to make 
democracy and tolerance the principles that guide all government 
actions, and to ensure that public institutions in Mexico become the 
guarantors of the rights and highest aspirations of citizens.
  I have also pledged to address the most pressing problems now 
confronting Mexico, some of which are perhaps unintended, but 
nonetheless tangible legacies from our authoritarian past. Among them, 
the poverty and inequality that for so many decades have condemned 
millions of Mexicans to a life of disadvantage and insecurity; the 
crippling disease of corruption, which has had such an insidious effect 
on the life of our country; and the fragility and weakness of our 
judicial system, which itself must be reformed in order to bring an end 
to impunity and to consolidate the rule of law throughout the country.
  I am convinced that it is time to bring Mexico up to date on all 
fronts, both within and beyond our borders. It is also time to bring 
Mexico up to date in its relations with the United States. Both of our 
nations now fully share, without qualification, the fundamental values 
of freedom and democracy. Thanks to those democratic changes 
inaugurated in Mexico last year on July 2, the time has come for Mexico 
and the United States to trust each other.
  Simple trust, that is what has been sorely absent in our relationship 
in the past, and that is what is required for us to propel and 
strengthen our relationship in the days, weeks, and years to come. Let 
us foster trust between our societies. Let us build trust along our 
common borders. Let us take the road less-traveled-by and build 
confidence every step of the way. Only trust will allow us to 
constructively tackle the challenges our two nations face as we 
undertake to build a new partnership in North America.
  Take, for example, our common struggle against the scourge of drugs. 
It should be clear by now that no government, however powerful, will be 
able to defeat on its own the forces of transnational organized crime 
that lie behind drug trafficking. Intense cooperation is required to 
confront this threat, and trust is certainly a prerequisite of 
cooperation.
  This is why since I took office last year, Mexico has enhanced its 
cooperation with U.S. authorities. We have arrested key drug kingpins 
and extradited drug traffickers wanted by the United States Justice 
Department.
  However, much more needs to be done. Trust will be crucial to enhance 
intelligence and information sharing between both governments. We are 
committed to becoming a full partner with the United States in the 
fight against drugs. But trust requires that one partner not be judged 
unilaterally by the other.
  Members of this honorable Congress, give trust a chance. Give both 
governments a chance. The bill to suspend drug certification for 3 
years, S. 219, will allow us to move forward. In the fight against 
drugs, cooperation is not a nicety; it is a necessity.
  We ask that you demonstrate your trust in us by passing this 
legislation as a gesture of your faith and confidence in this new 
country that we are working so hard to build.
  We must also trust each other if we are to deal successfully with the 
issue of migration. In recent months, President George Bush and I have 
already shown our willingness to trust each other by agreeing to 
discuss this most complex matter.
  As the history of this country shows, migration has always rendered 
more economic benefits to the United States than the costs it entails. 
Let us also not forget that migrants invariably enrich the cultural 
life of the land that receives them. Many among you have a parent or a 
grandparent who came into this country as an immigrant from another 
land.
  Therefore, allow me to take this opportunity to pay homage to those 
brave men and women who in the past took on the challenge of building a 
new life for themselves and for their families in this country.
  And let me also salute the Mexican migrants living in this country 
and say to them, Mexico needs you. We need your talent and your 
entrepreneurship. We need you to come home one day and play a part in 
building a strong Mexico.
  When you return, when you retire, we need you to come back and help 
us convince other Mexicans that the future lies in a prosperous and 
democratic Mexico. My dear countrymen, Mexico will not forget you and 
will support you. We will not fail you.
  There is one crucial fact that we must not lose sight of. Migration 
flows that respond to deep underlying economic incentives are all but 
impossible

[[Page 16476]]

to stop and must instead be regulated. Mexico is therefore seeking an 
agreement that will lend greater security and orderliness to the 
migration flows between our two countries.
  That is why trust in dealing with migration entails reaching common 
ground to address the status of Mexican migrants already working and 
living in the United States, already contributing to enrich this 
Nation. Let me be clear about this: regularization does not mean 
rewarding those who break the law. Regularization means that we will 
provide them with the legal means to allow them to continue 
contributing to this great Nation.
  The agreement that we seek would establish a higher ceiling for 
permanent visas awarded to Mexicans coming to this country, and it 
would also expand opportunities for Mexican workers to obtain temporary 
work visas so they can enter the United States safely and legally. 
Additionally, the agreement would require us to enhance our cooperative 
efforts to improve border safety, save lives and crack down on criminal 
smuggling gangs, or polleros. And, finally, it would demand that we 
promote economic growth in Mexico, and we know this is our 
responsibility, to promote specific opportunities for all those kids 
and young persons specifically in those regions that are the source of 
most migrants.
  Progress regarding migration will not be easy. Yet it is essential 
that we maintain our commitment to an open and frank discussion, so 
that we may find a lasting solution that is acceptable to both our 
countries.
  Such a discussion can only take place in a climate of trust. We have 
a fundamental decision to make. It is a decision that provides us with 
an opportunity to achieve the highest aspiration of any politician, 
leaving a lasting legacy of well-being to their people.
  Mexico and the United States must also work constructively to promote 
our common values within our region. By adopting a clear and consistent 
stance, our governments may jointly address some of the most relevant 
and pressing issues of our hemisphere, such as the deepening of 
democracy and the promotion of human rights. This should be our most 
noble cause in the Americas and in the rest of the world.
  On issues of common concern, such as the situation in Colombia, the 
promotion of economic development across Central America, the 
establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Americas, the negotiation 
of a democratic charter for the OAS, or the shared goal of fostering 
financial stability and disarming financial crises throughout our 
region, it is vital that Mexico and the United States work together, 
each one as a partner that we are, in building peace and stability 
throughout the Americas on the basis of our own principles and 
interests.
  Evidently, we will not always see eye to eye. But both countries 
should convey to each other, in all sincerity and candor, their 
respective perceptions about how best to tackle issues of common 
concern for the well-being of our peoples. Trust will allow us to do 
this.
  Members of the Congress of the United States of America, we have 
before us today the opportunity to dramatically change the future of 
our relationship. This meeting between Mexico and the United States is 
today the meeting between two democracies willing to build a better 
future.
  The relationship between Mexico and the United States is now in our 
hands. It is up to us to open wide the windows of opportunity before 
us. We are the architects of our common destiny.
  This means that we must re-create the relationship between our two 
great nations in a conscious and deliberate manner, moving forward 
firmly without leaving anything to chance. We must fully share this 
commitment in order to later enjoy together the fruits of our common 
labors.
  Obviously, we all know full well that there are no easy answers nor 
magical solutions to the challenges faced by Mexico and the United 
States, but there is a path along which we can make progress with firm 
steps towards their solution, the path of mutual trust, trust that our 
governments will always behave with integrity in their daily work, 
trust that the strength of our relationship as partners and friends is 
strong, trust in our future of shared prosperity.

                              {time}  1145

  Honorable Members of the U.S. Congress, the political change 
currently under way in Mexico is the most powerful reason why we are 
now able to establish new forms of friendship and cooperation with the 
United States. We are ready to turn this change into the seed of a 
better future for both of our countries.
  I hope that the United States will embrace this historic opportunity 
to build a new era of prosperity and understanding between our peoples. 
It requires will, as well as vision, to take advantage of this 
favorable turn in history and forge a new friendship between Mexicans 
and Americans.
  This legislative body, along with its peers in Mexico, can play a 
decisive role in bringing our two countries together. You are a key 
partner in fostering trust between our two peoples.
  Years ago, the United States Congress faced a difficult decision and 
chose to vote in favor of a greater integration with Mexico through the 
North American Free Trade Agreement.
  The partnership between Mexico and the United States is still 
incomplete. There remain many unresolved issues that must be dealt with 
in order to achieve our common goals as partners. One of these goals is 
an issue which this great body will soon consider and which entails an 
important obligation under NAFTA; it is the issue of access to the 
United States for Mexican trucks. For this, as in many other items of 
our common agenda, we need your trust. Trust will allow both countries 
to comply responsibly and maturely with their obligations to one 
another.
  The overarching question is not, then, whether we can afford to trust 
each other, but whether we can afford not to. The growing convergence 
of our nations can lead to shared responsibility and prosperity and to 
the strengthening of those values that we have in common.
  Let us begin anew, as those who founded our modern nations once did, 
remembering on both sides that there can be no friendship without trust 
and no trust without true commitment.
  When history comes knocking on our doors, as it has done now, bold 
decisions are required. Let us make one today. Let us decide to trust 
one another.
  John F. Kennedy believed in new beginnings. In accepting his party's 
nomination as President he spoke of a New Frontier, ``We stand today on 
the edge of a New Frontier . . . the New Frontier of which I speak is 
not a set of promises--it is a set of challenges.'' That was in 1960.
  Today, at the dawn of a new century, our two great nations face new 
challenges. But we do so with new opportunities, unimaginable even a 
few years ago.
  Our new frontier will be conquered not by confrontation, but through 
cooperation; not by threats, but by common aspirations; not by fear, 
but by trust.
  My friends, let us pledge today to create a new special partnership 
between the United States and Mexico for the benefit of our two great 
peoples.
  Senoras y senores:
  Viva Mexico!
  Viva Estados Unidos!
  Viva nuestro futuro en comun!
  [Applause, the Members rising.]
  At 11 o'clock and 51 minutes a.m., the President of the United 
Mexican States, accompanied by the committee of escort, retired from 
the Hall of the House of Representatives.
  The Assistant to the Sergeant at Arms escorted the invited guests 
from the Chamber in the following order:
  The members of the President's Cabinet;
  The Acting Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.

                          ____________________