[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
[June 8, 2006]
[Pages 1105-1107]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Joint Statement Between the United States of America and the Republic of 
Chile
June 8, 2006

    Presidents George W. Bush and Michelle Bachelet underscored the increasingly strong and close ties 
that Chile and the United States enjoy, based on common values and 
objectives, including the promotion of democracy, development, economic 
growth, hemispheric integration, trade liberalization, international 
security, and combating terrorism. They recognized the link among 
development, peace, security, human rights, and social justice. They 
reaffirmed  their  commitment  to  further
strengthen the bilateral relationship based on these principles and to 
deepen the two nations' ongoing strategic dialogue on democracy and 
regional development, and other key shared priorities.
    They agreed that Chile and the United States, like all the peoples 
of the Americas, are united by ties, and by common aspirations, 
expressed in the founding Charter of the Organization of American 
States, which says: ``The historic mission of America is to offer man a 
land of liberty and

[[Page 1106]]

a favorable environment for the development of his personality and the 
realization of his just aspirations.''
    They agreed that the important measure of governments is whether 
they are committed in principle and in practice to the core conditions 
of democracy: to govern justly, to advance economic freedom, and to 
invest in their people. They agreed that a consensus in support of 
democratic governance unites our hemisphere and is enshrined in the 
Inter-American Democratic Charter, which declares that the people of our 
hemisphere have a right to democracy and that their governments have a 
responsibility to protect and promote that right, and that democracy is 
essential for the social, political, and economic development of the 
people of the Americas.
    They agreed that the success of democracy in the Americas has 
produced increased expectations, and that in free societies citizens 
rightly insist that people should not go hungry, that every child 
deserves the opportunity for a decent education, and that hard work and 
initiative should be rewarded. The Presidents agreed that if democracy 
is to answer popular demands for development, if it is to help reduce 
poverty and inequality, then democratic institutions must be effective 
and responsive; that institutions like political parties, the police, 
and an independent judiciary must be representative of and accountable 
to the people; that institutions must be reformed to fight corruption 
and to function transparently; and that every democracy must have the 
strength to create opportunities for improved health and education for 
all of its citizens. For men and women who are committed to freedom, who 
work hard and play by the rules, democratic governments must eliminate 
policies and practices that interfere with opportunities to rise as high 
as their talents will take them. That is how we define social justice.
    The Presidents recognized that the democracies of the Americas have 
now forged a consensus on the vital link between security and prosperity 
as well as democracy and prosperity. They agreed that in a hemisphere 
that is becoming more democratic, the central security issue in the 
Americas is no longer one of state-to-state or military-to-military 
security, but how we face nontraditional threats such as organized 
crime, terrorism, delinquency, gangs, natural disasters, pandemics, 
weapons proliferation, and drug trafficking.
    The Presidents agreed to work to make democracy a force for 
inclusion and empowerment, for effective institutions that will better 
people's lives in real ways, especially for the most disadvantaged and 
marginalized, while also recognizing that political and economic 
freedoms are not quick fixes, but are in fact lasting fixes.
    They agreed to partner globally through the U.N. Democracy Fund and 
the Community of Democracies to support specific democracy promotion 
initiatives, particularly those aimed at improving democratic governance 
and strengthening institutions, promoting civil society participation, 
and sharing regional and trans-regional best practices and experiences. 
They further agreed to work together to support efforts to strengthen 
the capacity of the OAS and the Secretary-General to respond effectively 
to threats to democracy in the region and to help countries implement 
the provisions of the Charter.
    The Presidents also reaffirmed their commitment to working to ensure 
a successful and ambitious conclusion of the Doha Round in the near 
future. In this context, President Bachelet welcomed President Bush's reaffirmation that the 
United States is ready to eliminate all tariffs, subsidies, and other 
barriers to the free flow of goods and services as other nations do the 
same.
    Reaffirming the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of 
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), they acknowledged that the 
protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights should 
contribute

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to the promotion of technological innovation to the mutual advantage of 
producers and users of technological knowledge and in a manner conducive 
to social and economic welfare. The leaders agreed to promote innovation 
and technological advancement by providing strong intellectual property 
protection and effective enforcement of intellectual property rights.
    The Presidents acknowledged that economic growth and job creation 
are vital to reducing poverty and inequality and advancing human 
development, and that free trade is the key and their vision remains a 
Free Trade Area of the Americas, in the world's largest free trade 
community. The Presidents noted the importance of continuing efforts to 
promote trade liberalization and reaffirmed their commitment to the 
FTAA. They also observed that efforts toward economic and trade 
integration in the Americas are important tools for the promotion of 
prosperity, stability, and democracy in the region. They welcomed 
agreement by the IMF and World Bank to provide 100 percent debt relief 
for the poorest countries in our hemisphere. In addition, they agreed 
that the Inter-American Development Bank also should act to reduce the 
debt burden on the poorest countries. Collectively, these actions will 
ensure that more resources are available to invest in health and 
education.
    The Presidents expressed their commitment to ensure that political 
stability, democracy, and development take firm root in Haiti. They 
welcomed, as hemispheric partners in this effort to support democracy, 
the successful outcome of presidential and legislative elections held in 
February and April and expressed support for the new Government's 
efforts to respond to urgent social needs while aiming to achieve 
sustainable growth and poverty reduction.
    The Presidents noted with satisfaction the activities of our 
continuing cooperation in the areas of economic growth, trade, cultural, 
people-to-people, and military exchanges. The Presidents agreed to 
intensively explore opportunities for people-to-people exchanges, 
including graduate doctoral education and English language education.
    The Presidents reaffirmed their friendship and their commitment to 
further strengthening ties between the two nations to foster freedom, 
democracy, security, and prosperity.

Note: The transcript was released by the Office of the Press Secretary 
on June 9. An original was not available for verification of the content 
of this joint statement.