[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
[June 21, 1993]
[Pages 912-913]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on the Meeting of the United States-Mexico Binational 
Commission
June 21, 1993

    Today the U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission is holding its 10th 
meeting at the State Department. I want to extend a very warm welcome to 
the members of the Cabinet of President Salinas and to say a few words 
about our warm friendship with Mexico.
    There is no closer partnership between two nations than that which 
we have with our neighbor Mexico. We share strong ties of history. Our 
cultures are richly interwoven. Our people share strong bonds of kinship 
and fellowship. And the peaceful cooperation of the communities along 
our 2,000-mile border is important to both of our peoples.
    An important sign of our close relations is the Binational 
Commission itself, which provides a forum for our Cabinets to meet 
annually to work on issues ranging from the environment to education to 
telecommunications.
    Another sign of our partnership is our increasingly close 
cooperation in world affairs and our commitment to the success of 
democracy in this hemisphere. We worked together to help end the war in 
El Salvador. Mexico has contributed to the International Civilian 
Mission of Human Rights Observers in Haiti. Mexico's leadership in the 
OAS was critical to the successful collective defense of democracy in 
Guatemala. And President Salinas speaks with a special authority as one 
of the world's leading economic reformers when he calls for progress in 
the Uruguay round to expand world trade.
    Mexico and we agree that the movement toward open markets and free 
trade in Latin America is vital and for the long-term success and 
strengthening of democracy and human rights in this hemisphere. The 
countries of Latin America have already made great strides. The 
emergence of democratically elected governments in the region has 
permitted Latin America to modernize and develop. The Latin countries 
have made enormous progress restructuring

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and opening their economies, controlling inflation, and increasing the 
competitiveness of their productive sectors. In the last 2 years, for 
the first time in a decade, Latin America has had real growth in per 
capita income.
    Free trade agreements have contributed to the progress in regional 
integration. Democratic governments have achieved peace, strengthened 
freedoms, and accelerated the pace of integration. With the support of 
the OAS and the U.N., internal conflicts in Nicaragua and El Salvador 
have ended and hopefully will soon end in Guatemala. The OAS routinely 
observes the freedom of elections across the region. Subregional free 
trade agreements have emerged throughout the hemisphere. These are 
points that were recently well articulated by Foreign Minister Solana at 
the OAS and that we enthusiastically embrace.
    Increasingly today, the line has blurred between domestic and 
foreign policies. What we seek to do abroad directly affects us at home. 
No relationship illustrates better the strong linkage between foreign 
and domestic policies than our relationship with Mexico. The 
interdependence of our societies and people are stronger than ever and 
continues to grow. Our domestic policies affect the lives and prosperity 
of Mexicans in the same way that the domestic policies of Mexico 
profoundly affect us. You need only to look at the scope and complexity 
of today's BNC agenda to understand how important Mexico and the U.S. 
are to each other. We will work to deepen and expand our partnership 
even further.
    One of the most productive areas in which we must work closely 
together is on the trade between our nations, which has doubled in the 
past 5 years. That trade is vital to our economic future, to Mexico's 
economic future, and to our cooperation in every area. It is making both 
our economies grow. It is making us both more efficient and more 
competitive in the world market. And it adds to the resources we can use 
to address common concerns such as the environment.
    That is why I am firmly committed to the NAFTA, and it's why I 
believe the American people and Congress will support the NAFTA this 
year. We are the world's number one exporter. Exports are creating more 
jobs than any other source in our economy today. American workers and 
companies want to compete fairly in the international market. They seek 
no special advantage, only a level playing field. Mexico has already 
made important strides in labor rights and in protecting the 
environment. When we conclude the side agreements, we will have an even 
broader basis for cooperation and progress.
    By approving the NAFTA, we will cement in place a new source of jobs 
and economic growth for workers in Canada, Mexico, and the United 
States. And we will do more than that. We will send a signal that the 
nations of the Americas are on their way to building a hemisphere of 
freer trade.
    Once again, I wish to reiterate my deep personal commitment to 
continuing the positive, friendly relations between the U.S. and Mexico. 
I look forward to celebrating together with you the happy occasion of 
congressional approval of the NAFTA before the end of this year.