    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [September 5, 2001]
    [Pages 1076-1077]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a State Dinner Honoring President Vicente Fox of Mexico
    September 5, 2001

        It's my honor to offer a toast to the--our guests from Mexico. After
    I do so, President Fox will offer a toast, and then Cardinal
    Mahony of Los Angeles, California, will offer
    to bless the meal.
        Mr. President and Mrs. Fox, on
    behalf of the American people, Laura and I welcome you to the United
    States and to the Casa Blanca. [Laughter]
        This is not only a state dinner; it's like a family gathering. The
    most important ties between your country and mine, Mr. President, go
    beyond economics and politics and geography. They are the ties of
    heritage, culture, and family. This is true for millions of Mexican and
    American families, including my own.
        The Mexican people have changed and enriched America. Together, our
    nations are now working to strengthen the Americas. A long border lies
    between us, but it does not divide us. Nearly one million people cross
    that border every day; a quarter-trillion dollars worth of trade crosses
    it every year. Because of the visionary NAFTA agreement of 1994, the
    trade between us crosses in ever greater freedom. That's a benefit to
    both our peoples and a model to the world.
        A sound foreign policy begins by ensuring the safety and security of
    the neighborhood we share. A good neighborhood is made by good
    neighbors. And good neighbors work as we are working, with shared
    obligations and mutual respect.
        Mr. President, you and I are keeping the pledges we made in
    Guanajuato this past winter to expand the freedom of trade, to build an
    equitable prosperity, and to honor the rule of law.
        We have before us a great prospect, an era of prosperity in a
    hemisphere of liberty. In this task, our cooperation is broad and
    unprecedented. Our sense of trust is strong, and it's growing.
        A century and a half ago, another occupant of this house, Abraham
    Lincoln, paused in the darkest hour of this country's history to send a
    word of hope to Mexico. Lincoln knew how closely the fates of our two
    countries were linked. And he never lost faith in the character of our
    two people. In April of 1861, he directed his Secretary of State to tell
    Mexico of his high respect for the heroism of their people, and above
    all, their inextinguishable love of civil liberty.
        My message to the Mexican people is the same. The respect of my
    Nation endures, and it deepens. The United States has no more important
    relationship in the world than our relationship with Mexico.

    [[Page 1077]]

    Each of our countries is proud of our independence, our freedom, and our
    democracy. We are united by values and carried forward by common hopes.
        And so, Mr. President, speaking friend to friend, partner to
    partner, neighbor to neighbor, I offer a toast to you, to your gracious
    wife, and to your great nation.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:30 p.m. in the State Dining Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to Roger Cardinal Mahony,
    Archbishop of Los Angeles; and Martha Sahagun de Fox, wife of President
    Fox. The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also
    included the remarks of President Fox.