    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [January 12, 2004]
    [Pages 45-51]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's News Conference With President Vicente Fox of Mexico in Monterrey, Mexico
    January 12, 2004

        President Fox. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. President Bush,
    welcome to Mexico, and welcome to Monterrey. We receive you with great
    enthusiasm, the way we are receiving the leaders of the countries of
    America. We have great expectations in order to work in this
    extraordinary Summit of the Americas.
        In order to know each other better--all of us leaders that have
    responsibilities in America--it's best to analyze extraordinary matters
    that have been brought about in the last few years, since the last
    meeting of the Americas. While checking and making a revision on these
    matters, we can give broad solutions to the problems--economic and
    poverty problems in a great part of the continent; perhaps solutions to
    the problems of human capital, social capital in our respective
    countries; and likewise deal, as we have been doing in every single
    meeting, the safety and security matters, going deep inside the problems
    of corruption, making sure that in our countries, democracy should be
    there and the state of law should be there. So this meeting will enable
    us to give steps forward in all these multilateral topics.
        Likewise, we have had a bilateral meeting--and I will mention this
    later on, a couple of matters, important matters in reference to this
    bilateral conversation. First of all, relating to the migration topic,
    President Bush has given us in full detail and has told us once again
    the proposal made in the United States for the migration matters and the
    policy that should be checked upon that--that topic. It's a sovereign
    matter of the United States.
        Consequently, this migration proposal is analyzed according to the
    different conversations that President Bush and President Fox, myself,
    even when he was a Governor in the State of Texas and I was a Governor
    in the State of Guanajuato. Since that time, we have been touching upon
    this subject, and we did that in the first meeting in Rancho San
    Cristobal in the State of Guanajuato. We did it once again, and we spoke
    about migration. We have been doing this in each one of the different
    meetings.
        So I would like to give full acknowledgement that part of the
    conversations, a great part of the conversations have been collected and
    analyzed. But this is a proposal made by the President of the United
    States. We totally agree and are aware that the proposal should be
    discussed, broadly discussed, analyzed, particularly in the Congress of
    the United States. Consequently, we should give full time so that the
    idea--well, the idea should mature, and it should definitely be
    approved.
        So for us in Mexico, this is a very important step forward on what
    has to do with the relationship between the two countries, on what has
    to do with the migration flow. It is a topic with a great priority for
    our countries, for both countries. This proposal opens an opportunity to
    have a certain movement, a certain situation, important for many
    millions of Mexicans. It is a priority. It is a valuable proposal, and
    by all means, it will have to do with the improvement of the situation
    of these migrants, but it will have to do as well with the strengthening
    of our respective economies--that on the one hand.
        On the other, the topic that we have been dealing with is the
    initiative of North America, by means of which both Governments want to
    work with very specific objectives so as to create a greater economic
    growth, increase productivity and competitiveness within the region
    through the reduction of costs, and facilitating trade flows, promoting
    development of common markets in different specific sectors. And it has

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    as an objective to establish a security regional framework protecting
    Mexico, the United States, and Canada from terrorism.
        Several tables, working tables, analyze the normalization of
    different standards within the market in automobiles, food, agriculture
    products, construction materials, and consumption goods. Likewise,
    there's a table that has to do with trade and services. Another one is
    working on energy; another one in scientific and technological
    cooperation; another one, regional cooperation on trade and investment.
    Consequently, it is a great effort so as to achieve the objectives that
    I just mentioned.
        President Bush, once again, thank you for visiting us. Thank you for
    being here. This summit, this meeting, will allow us to be near the
    different Presidents, the different leaders of Latin America, the
    Caribbean area, Central America, and by all means North America. And it
    will be for the good of this continent in the future. Thank you.
        President Bush. Thank you, Mr. President. Laura and I are--really appreciate your hospitality. We want
    to thank you and Marta for being our
    friends. I remember well our visit to your ranch. And to this end, we
    would like to extend an invitation to both you and the First Lady of
    Mexico to visit our ranch on March the 5th and 6th. I hope you can
    find--I hope it's a convenient date for you on your calendar because
    we'd love to have you there.
        The bonds of friendship and shared values between our two nations
    are strong. We have worked together to overcome many mutual challenges,
    and that work is yielding results. Today, Mexico is America's second
    largest trading partner, and we are Mexico's largest. Every day,
    thousands of Americans and Mexicans cross the border in both directions
    for reason of commerce and tourism. And many Americans settle--many
    Mexicans settle in America, bringing with them optimism and a strong
    desire to succeed. They come to fulfill their dreams, and in the process
    they enrich our Nation.
        Last week, I proposed a new temporary-worker program that will help
    further the cause of safe, legal, and orderly migration. This temporary-
    worker program will match willing foreign workers with willing American
    employers when no Americans can be found to fill the jobs. Under this
    program, undocumented workers currently in the United States will be
    able to come out of the shadows and establish legal identities. All
    participants in the program will be issued a temporary-worker card that
    will allow them to travel back and forth between their home and the
    United States without fear of being denied reentry into our country.
        This plan is not amnesty, placing undocumented workers on the
    automatic path of citizenship. I oppose amnesty because it encourages
    the violation of our laws and perpetuates illegal immigration. My
    proposal expects that most temporary workers will eventually return
    permanently to their home countries when the period of work that I will
    be negotiating with the Congress has expired. And I think it's important
    to give financial incentives to those workers in order for them to make
    the decision to return home permanently.
        I'll work with President Fox and other leaders on a plan to give
    temporary workers credit in their home countries' retirement systems for
    the time they worked in the United States. I support making it easier
    for temporary workers to contribute a portion of their earnings to tax-
    preferred savings accounts, money they can collect as they return to
    their native countries.
        Under this program, the United States will benefit from the honest
    labor of foreign workers. Our neighbors will benefit as productive
    citizens return home with money to invest and to spend in their own
    nation's economy. This program will be more humane, humane to workers,
    and will live up to the highest ideals of our nations.

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        While my Nation benefits from the dreams that newcomers bring to
    America, I believe that people should be better able to achieve their
    dreams at their own home. The best way in the long term to reduce the
    pressures that create illegal immigration is to expand economic
    opportunity in countries at both ends of an immigrant's journey. This is
    why President Fox and I are committed to free and fair trade. We've seen
    it lift both our nations and our economies. Since 1994, trade between
    our two countries has grown from $100 billion to $232 billion. We will
    continue to work together and with Canada to enhance North American
    prosperity and security.
        We're also working to reduce the cost of sending money home to
    families and local communities. These remittances exceed $10 billion per
    year. But the cost of such transfers reduces the amount of money that
    hardworking people can return to their families. Our two countries have
    made it a priority to keep hard-earned money in the hands of those who
    need it most. In recent years, our efforts under our U.S.-Mexico
    Partnership for Prosperity Initiative have reduced the cost of
    remittances by almost 60 percent.
        Two years ago, in this city, world leaders agreed on a vision to
    expand opportunity and spread prosperity throughout the hemisphere. With
    this year's Special Summit, we continue to put that vision into action.
    Through the Inter-American Development Bank, we are expanding access to
    credit for small-business entrepreneurs, the key engines of growth and
    job creation for any nation's economy. We're helping nations improve
    their legal systems to protect property rights so that owners can use
    their property as collateral to finance the purchase of a home or to
    start a business. We're investing in the health and education of our
    peoples, and we're intensifying our common fight against corruption.
        President Fox and I will also continue our efforts to support
    democracy in the region. We will work with the Organization of American
    States to ensure the integrity of the Presidential recall and referendum
    process underway in Venezuela. And as part of our effort to protect the
    institutions of democracy in Bolivia, we will cochair the initial
    meeting of the Bolivia Support Group in Washington this coming Friday.
        Our bilateral relationship is strong. This summit's agenda is full.
    The United States will continue to work with our friends in the
    neighborhood in a spirit of common purpose and mutual respect.
        Thank you, Mr. President.

    Temporary-Worker Program/Airport Security

        Q. Question for both of you. President Fox, once more on migrating
    matters, what else did the Mexican Government propose? What else can we
    expect for the Mexican workers? Can we aspire the same treatment of the
    Canadian ones without any approaches? What are the purposes in reference
    to migrants? Does this have election purposes? And will the United
    States avoid violating the human rights in our airports? What is the
    question, and the question is addressed for both Presidents. Thank you.
        President Fox. First of all, I would like to say, what else can we
    wish? What we want is the plan presented by President Bush. We hope that
    the plan has a happy ending, through the political process that should
    be followed within the United States so that it can be approved in the
    Congress of the United States.
        I would say that this is what we want. The plan, as it was mentioned
    before, is a very important step forward for many Mexican workers in the
    United States. Those that have the direct benefit of this will recognize
    and acknowledge this proposal that has a great importance for them. Not
    only because they can see that their labor rights and their human rights
    are completely respected there but there is a human face on this
    proposal, a human face that has to do with the families of these
    workers. Consequently, for us it is a plan

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    that meets the demands and its measures. And our will should be to
    support the plan to be achieved and go on.
        In reference to safety matters on the airports and the flights, that
    is a sovereign decision in Mexico to implement these safety and security
    programs within the airports and within the Mexican airlines. So we are
    not violating any human right of any sort of citizen. What we're doing
    is paying special attention so as to avoid terrorist acts, violent acts
    within the Mexican territory or within the Mexican airlines.
        And in this same approach, we mention that there's no direct
    intervention of no official personnel, policemen, agents--direct
    intervention, direct participation in operations that have to do with
    the assurance of this task within the Mexican airports or within the
    Mexican airlines. What we do have is a participation and an exchange
    with the personnel, the liaison personnel, the link personnel for
    security. We exchange information so as to do our work much better.
        We reject any other sort of information, different information that
    has been brought about that in these activities--well, we can state that
    only Mexican personnel participates, agents of the airlines or agents of
    security here in Mexico. Thus, there is no intervention in the direct
    operation of any other official agent from abroad. It is the liaison
    officers, the link offices; we exchange information the way we agreed
    upon with President Bush since the beginning of our conversations in
    Rancho San Cristobal.
        And we have a mutual trust--that's the way we started--so that the
    security and safety institutions would trust each other, they could have
    an exchange of information, and they could be very, very efficient in
    their work. Never, never before had we reached efficiency level fighting
    organized crime, guaranteeing the security and safety of the different
    passengers, stopping, let's say, loads of drug, drug trafficking the way
    we have been achieving this in the last few years, based upon mutual
    trust and based on this coordinated work between the two parts.
        President Bush. Mr. President, I appreciate your wonderful
    cooperation that we've achieved between our two countries. You've just
    articulated that level of cooperation in a way that I don't think I ever
    could. So that's my answer to the second question you asked.
        My answer to the first question you asked is that I proposed this
    change in immigration law because I think it is the right thing to do.
    It recognizes the reality of our country. The President and I talked
    about whether or not--the ramifications of this initiative to Mexico.
    But the migration policy applies to all foreign workers. But the truth
    of the matter is, the vast majority of foreign workers in America are
    from Mexico. We know that in Texas very well. And I repeat to you that
    this is--these workers are a benefit to my country. These are hard-
    working, decent, honorable people that are in our country because--to
    fill jobs that others won't take, on the one hand, and also to make a
    living, to put money--to get money and to send money back to their
    families. There is a deep human desire for a mother or a father to
    provide for his or her family. And that's how I view the motivations of
    good, decent Mexican citizens working in our country.
        And it seems like to me, it makes sense to have laws that treat
    people with respect. We are a country of law. Rule of law is important
    in America. And therefore, we ought to not have a system that is based
    upon a undocumented underclass but a system that is based upon law.
        And so I--you said something about politics--yes, there's politics
    involved. But the reason I made--and there will be politics probably
    involved in whether or not it passes Congress. But the reason I proposed
    the initiative is because it is the right thing for America to do.

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    Iraq

        Q. Thank you, Mr. President, President Fox. My question is about
    Iraq. The death toll in Iraq, the American death toll, is approaching
    500. I wonder whether you have any reservations now about whether that
    toll is worth it to achieve your objectives in Iraq and the Middle East.
        President Fox, you had a disagreement with the President going into
    the war. I wonder whether you aired that out during your meeting just
    now, whether you now see eye-to-eye on postwar Iraq. Thank you.
        President Bush. A democratic, free Iraq is in the national interests
    of our country. A free country in the midst of the Middle East will make
    America more secure and, matter of fact, make any country more secure.
    And the decision I made was a tough decision.
        We've had discussions prior to the decision and after the decision.
    Vicente Fox is a good enough friend for him to be able to express his
    opinion to me without the loss of friendship, and he didn't agree with
    the decision I made. But the decision I made was the right one for
    America, and history will prove it's the right one for the world. And we
    will stay the course until the job is done.
        And the job is getting done. Iraq is more free every day. The
    citizens are beginning--the lives of the citizens are improving every
    day. And one thing is for certain, there won't be any more mass graves
    and torture rooms and rape rooms. The tyrant will no longer come back to
    threaten the Iraqi people. These people will be able to live in--these
    Iraqi citizens will not only be able to live in a free society; they'll
    be able to live in a society that is free from one of the most brutal
    dictators in the world's history.
        President Fox. As a democratic nation, to meet the challenge of
    terrorism, to make sure that terrorism is eradicated from the face of
    this world--that's our challenge today, and that's what we work on. It
    is why we congratulate the U.S. Government that they withheld Saddam
    Hussein, and he will be taken to trial, to judgment. We fully support
    that, and we congratulate President Bush and the United States for that
    very important accomplishment, which is for the better of all nations,
    all families, all people in the world that would want to live in peace
    without terrorism.

    Free Trade Agreements

        Q. Good afternoon. My question is addressed for both Presidents, if
    you can really talk about a free trade agreement--[inaudible]--North
    America, between Mexico, United States, and Canada, in the midst of all
    the problems of commercial exchange such as transportation, food,
    agricultural sector. Second question: Can you achieve a free trade
    agreement of the Americas with the opposition of many countries such as
    Brazil and Venezuela?
        President Fox. Well, in the case of a free trade agreement of North
    America, we have clearly pointed out many a time that it has been
    successful for Mexico. We are very much satisfied with what has been
    achieved in the last 10 years. Mexico is the ninth economy in the world.
    It has enabled Mexico to have the size of the seventh power for exports
    in the world and a per capita income going beyond, let's say, $6,000,
    the highest in Latin America. These are things that have been brought
    about because of this relation that has been established. And we have
    worked upon that for 10 years.
        I read a report of the ILO about Latin America and unemployment and
    wages and salaries of the different workers. And Mexico has the best,
    let's say, rate on unemployment in Latin America, improving the
    situation, improving the actual wages of the workers in Latin America--
    the only one in Latin America. And by all means, this is coming from the
    free trade agreements. Consequently, we are satisfied with the free
    trade agreement, and it should continue operating and working with
    success.

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        On a parallel basis, we have thought about the Initiative of North
    America to thrust and develop our economies much more, achieving
    competitiveness and productivity, generating jobs and quality of life in
    our respective countries. It is a parallel, an additional pathway.
        And as President Bush already mentioned in reference to the
    Association for Prosperity--the document known as Partnership For
    Prosperity, that's the name of the document--it has many--[inaudible]--
    we work day by day so as to thrust and improve the document. So we're
    giving steps forward in this direction--that on the one hand.
        On the other, as a consequence of this, Mexico is a passionate
    promoter of the free trade agreements in the Americas. We are totally in
    favor of the free trade agreement for the American Continent, by all
    means. And we're working in favor and working actively so that it will
    be achieved as soon as possible. We received with great satisfaction the
    results of the last meeting in Miami, Florida, where the agreement is to
    continue building this free trade agreement so as to have it ready on
    the foreseen dates that we thought about. So we are working
    enthusiastically in this field.
        By all means, we do not only want a free trade agreement but we want
    a very good free trade agreement, an agreement with quality and that has
    to do with trade that would take development to the less developed
    countries, the poorest countries in our continent, that could take
    development to the different regions where there's greater poverty in
    our continent. And that is the fundamental purpose of this agreement.
        Trade promotes development, undoubtedly. Trade undoubtedly promotes
    the reduction of poverty. And trade and relations amongst countries
    promote human capital. So we are absolutely in favor of trusting and
    supporting this agreement.
        President Bush. It's helped America; it's helped Mexico; it's helped
    Canada. I think we need to move the process forward--the President and I
    discussed that earlier today--with the North American Initiative.
        The President is absolutely right. The best way to eradicate poverty
    is to encourage trade between nations. Trade gives people hope and
    provides opportunity. Obviously, that must be coupled with
    anticorruption measures, like the President has done here in Mexico. It
    must be coupled with good education measures. At this meeting, we're
    going to talk about ways to get capital into the hands of the
    entrepreneurial classes of respective countries. But without trade,
    there's going to be--it's going to be hard for some people to find
    opportunity.
        And so I hope those who have expressed some opposition about the
    free trade agreement of the Americas look at the facts. And the fact is
    that NAFTA has lifted lives and ended poverty in some parts of our--in
    our neighborhood. And to this end, the United States will not only push
    for the free trade agreement of the Americas; we will continue trade
    agreements with countries like Chile--we just concluded one with Chile--
    but with the Central American countries, Andean countries. We believe in
    trade. We believe it's in the interest of the neighborhood that we trade
    freely.

    Paul O'Neill

        Q. Thank you, President Fox. President Bush, is it true, as your
    former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill says, that you started planning
    for the invasion of Iraq within days of your inauguration? Do you feel
    betrayed? And should he have released those documents?
        President Bush. First, let me say I appreciate former Secretary
    O'Neill's service to our country. We worked together during some
    difficult times. We worked together when the country was in recession,
    and now we're coming out of recession, which is positive news. We worked
    together when America was attacked on September the 11th, which changed
    how I viewed the

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    world. September the 11th made me realize that America was no longer
    protected by oceans and we had to take threats very seriously, no matter
    where they may be materializing.
        And no, the stated policy of my administration towards Saddam
    Hussein was very clear. Like the previous
    administration, we were for regime change. And in the initial stages of
    the administration, as you might remember, we were dealing with Desert
    Badger or fly-overs and fly-betweens and looks, and so we were
    fashioning policy along those lines. And then, all of a sudden,
    September the 11th hit. And as the President of the United States, my
    most solemn obligation is to protect the security of the American
    people. That's my--to me that's the most solemn thing an American
    President or any President must do. And I took that duty very seriously.
        And as you know, not only did we deal with the Taliban, we gave--
    working through the United Nations and working through the international
    community, we made it clear that Saddam Hussein should disarm. And like he had done with a lot of
    previous resolutions, he ignored the world's demands. And now he's no
    longer in power, and the world is better for it. The Iraqi people are
    better for it; America is better for it; Mexico is better for it. The
    world is more peaceful as a result of Saddam Hussein not being in power.
        And the task at hand, Mr. President--and he and I--he knows this
    fully well--is to make sure that the aspirations of the Iraqi people are
    allowed to flourish. And we'll get there. It's a tough task right now.
    It's hard work, but we've done hard work in the past. And a free Iraq is
    going to be in the world's interest.
        Thank you very much.
        President Fox. Thank you, Mr. President. Good afternoon.

    Note: The President's news conference began at 2:12 p.m. at the Quinta
    Real Hotel. In his remarks, President Bush referred to Marta Sahagun de
    Fox, wife of President Fox; and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.
    President Fox and some reporters spoke in Spanish, and their remarks
    were translated by an interpreter. The Office of the Press Secretary
    also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.