    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [September 6, 2001]
    [Pages 1084-1086]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Joint Statement Between the United States of America and the United
    Mexican States
    September 6, 2001

        The three-day State Visit of Mexican President Vicente Fox to the
    United States celebrates the special friendship and authentic
    partnership that has been achieved by new leadership in the United
    States and Mexico.
        This first State Visit of the Bush Administration highlights the
    mutual trust and respect between our two Presidents and governments. It
    also testifies to the unequaled priority both Presidents attach to a
    practical and cooperative approach to the common opportunities and
    challenges we face as the

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    well-being and prosperity of our peoples becomes increasingly
    intertwined in our shared North American community. This results-
    oriented approach, and the commitment to shared responsibility and
    partnership undergirding it, are already generating unprecedented levels
    of cooperation throughout our rich and diverse relationship.
        With trade and investment between the United States and Mexico at
    record levels, the Presidents took stock of the success of NAFTA in
    bringing economic growth and development, and with it higher wages, more
    jobs, and lower prices for our citizens. They stressed the need to abide
    by the provisions of our free trade agreement and agreed to the
    importance of vigorous measures to ensure that the full benefits of
    economic development and trade are extended to all regions of Mexico.
        To serve urgent environmental priorities in the border area, the
    Presidents agreed that immediate measures were needed to strengthen the
    performance of the North American Development Bank (NADBank), and its
    sister Border Environmental Cooperation Commission (BECC), to identify
    and fund environmental infrastructure projects on the border. Presidents
    Bush and Fox agreed that a binational working group--which will consult
    with national legislatures, border states, communities, and other
    stakeholders--will develop joint recommendations and report back to the
    Presidents by October 31, 2001.
        The Presidents praised the success of efforts to heighten
    cooperation on legal issues as a major step toward enhancing the rule of
    law and protecting public safety. They highlighted growing cooperation
    against migrant smuggling and other organized transborder crime,
    including a new agreement signed September 5, 2001, on sharing forfeited
    assets seized as a result of joint investigations. They praised in
    particular the growing trust between our law enforcement agencies that
    is making it possible to broaden the scope of cooperation in this area.
    Presidents Bush and Fox also expressed their support for new and more
    effective national and multilateral measures to increase international
    cooperation against drug trafficking. Specifically, they expressed
    support for the Organization of American State's ``Multilateral
    Evaluation Mechanism'' as a promising example of such measures. In this
    regard, President Bush reiterated his Administration's commitment to
    work with the U.S. Congress, on a priority basis, to replace the annual
    counter-narcotics certification regime with new measures designed to
    enhance international cooperation in this area.
        These and other areas of bilateral engagement were highlighted in an
    historic joint meeting of the U.S. and Mexican Cabinets on September 5.
    That session enabled the Cabinet-level chairpersons of our Binational
    Commission, streamlined and reinvigorated following the Presidents'
    meeting in Guanajuato, Mexico in February 2001, to report on the
    specific steps achieved since then to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
        Their reports testified to the breadth of our relationship and to
    the progress we are achieving in countless areas that directly benefit
    the quality of life of our people. Examples of other items covered in
    the reports include:

        measures to improve safety and protect lives along our
                shared border;
        means of facilitating better coordination on border issues;
        a new agreement on food safety;
        steps to enhance cooperation on renewable and more efficient
                energy resources and cross-border interconnections;
        a major new scholarship program ($50 million) focused
                primarily on economic development disciplines; and
        regional cooperation to strengthen democracy and prosperity
                in the Western Hemisphere.

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        President Bush and President Fox also had a
    frank discussion about water resources and the importance of living up
    to our mutual treaty obligations in this regard. They agreed that in the
    future this could be well served by greater cooperation aimed at more
    effective watershed management and improved infrastructure, including
    formation of a joint advisory council.
        The Presidents reviewed the progress made by our joint working group
    on migration chaired by Secretaries Powell,
    Castaneda, and Creel and Attorney General Ashcroft and noted this represented the most fruitful and frank
    dialogue we have ever had on a subject so important to both nations.
    They praised implementation of the border safety initiative, and
    recognized that migration-related issues are deeply felt by our publics
    and vital to our prosperity, well-being, and the kind of societies we
    want to build.
        They renewed their commitment to forging new and realistic
    approaches to migration to ensure it is safe, orderly, legal and
    dignified, and agreed on the framework within which this ongoing effort
    is based. This includes: matching willing workers with willing
    employers; serving the social and economic needs of both countries;
    respecting the human dignity of all migrants, regardless of their
    status; recognizing the contribution migrants make to enriching both
    societies; shared responsibility for ensuring migration takes place
    through safe and legal channels. Both stressed their commitment to
    continue our discussions, instructing the high-level working group to
    reach mutually satisfactory results on border safety, a temporary worker
    program and the status of undocumented Mexicans in the United States.
    They requested that the working group provide them proposals with
    respect to these issues as soon as possible. The Presidents recognized
    that this is an extraordinarily challenging area of public policy, and
    that it is critical to address the issue in a timely manner and with
    appropriate thoroughness and depth.
        To help address some of the root causes of migration, they agreed to
    form a public-private alliance to spur private sector growth throughout
    Mexico. This ``Partnership for Prosperity'' initiative will harness the
    power of free markets to boost the social and economic well-being of
    citizens particularly in regions where economic growth has lagged and
    fueled migration. The development of this alliance will be spearheaded
    by senior-level coordinators on both sides, and will draw on the best
    expertise among Mexican and U.S. economists, business people and civil
    society to develop a concrete plan of action to be presented to the
    Presidents not later than March 1, 2002.
        The Presidents expressed their strong support for the launch of a
    new round of trade negotiations in November at the WTO ministerial.
        Both Presidents agreed that U.S.-Mexican relations have entered
    their most promising moment in history. Our governments are committed to
    seizing the opportunities before us in this new atmosphere of mutual
    trust. The depth, quality and candor of our dialogue is unprecedented.
    It reflects the democratic values we share and our commitment to move
    forward boldly as we deepen this authentic partnership of neighbors.

    Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of
    this joint statement.