    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [March 13, 2007]
    [Pages 300-302]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Welcoming Ceremony in Temozon Sur, Mexico
    March 13, 2007

        President Felipe de Jesus Calderon Hinojosa of Mexico. Your Excellency, Mr. George W.
    Bush, President of United States of America, Mrs. Laura Bush, and
    distinguished members of the staff accompanying President Bush: I hope
    you are all welcome to Mexico. We're very pleased with your visit
    because it reflects your interest upon our country, and it allows us to
    dialog about our complex bilateral agenda.
        For many reasons, the relationship with the United States of America
    is a most important relationship for Mexico, but also the relationship
    with Mexico is a most important relationship for the United States of
    America. This is what you have expressed, Mr. President, in a meeting
    like this one when you expressed some years ago that there is no
    relationship all over the world that is most relevant to the United
    States than that one that you have with Mexico. Unfortunately, the
    terrible happenings against the United States people made that in a very
    understandable way, the priorities changed. Nevertheless, I believe that
    it is now time to retake the spirit of those words and to direct our
    relationship toward a path of mutual prosperity. We are countries and
    friends as people with our prospective place and a shared future that I
    am certain that we can reach for mutual benefit.
        I come originally from the State of Michoacan, one of the States
    that has endured tremendously with migration. And I know the pain of the
    families when they split and also of all those towns where the elderly
    are remaining alone. I also know that Mexicans lose in each migrant the
    best

    [[Page 301]]

    of our people--young people, working people, and audacious people,
    strong people--people that leave Mexico because they do not find the
    opportunities here in order to pull through with their lives. This is
    which we want to generate jobs for Mexicans here in Mexico, because that
    is the only way in order to truly solve the migratory issue.
        That is a solution that is convenient for all of us, and, as a
    result, we should commonly resolve it, because while we have two
    economies that complement each other, but yet are not equal. One is
    intensive in labor, and the other one is intensive in capital. So
    therefore, migration might not be stopped, and certainly not by decree.
    This is why we are intensively working, so instead that our labor will
    be moving to where the capital is located. It will rather receive in
    Mexico the investment where the labor is located, and our families will
    not continue splitting themselves nor our population. Mexicans, we all
    do fully respect the right that of the Government and the people of the
    United States of America has to decide within its territory what will be
    best for their concerns and security.
        But at the same time, we do consider in a respectful way that we may
    truly stop the migration by building a kilometer of highway in Michoacan
    or Zacatecas than 10 kilometers of walls in the border. This is why we
    wish to respect the rights of everyone, more so of our population. This
    is why we recognize and support the effort that you are conducting, Mr.
    President Bush, in order to promote a comprehensive migratory reform in
    the Congress of the United States, and we wish you the best of
    successes. This is why we also would like to continue working together,
    and now with tremendous emphasis in order to accelerate the development
    of our people, because I am certain that there is nothing better for the
    security and prosperity of our region than the prosperity of Mexico.
        On the other hand, we share the intention of keeping a safe border,
    because those who live on both sides of the border deserve so, being
    American or Mexican. The government does the part that it has to do; it
    gets back all the public plazas and the streets from criminals and
    drugs. We have accredited with facts our firm commitment in our battle
    against those who wish to poison the bodies and the souls of our young
    population. But in order to be successful in our struggle, we need the
    collaboration and the active participation of our neighbor, knowing that
    while we will not reduce the demand for drugs in a certain area, it will
    be very difficult to reduce the supply in ours.
        Mr. President, I have no doubt that together our Governments will
    move forward in the generation of new opportunities of well-being and
    prosperity for our nations. Please feel very, very welcome to Mexico.
        President Bush. Buenos dias. Estamos encantados de estar en Mexico
    otra vez.
        Mr. President and Mrs.
    Zavala, thank you
    for your warm welcome. We're delighted to be back in your country. As
    Governor of Texas, I visited your beautiful country many times, and I
    came to know and admire the people of Mexico. As President, I've worked
    to strengthen the ties between our two nations. Mexico was the first
    country I visited after I became President of the United States. The
    United States and Mexico are partners. We're partners in building a
    safer, more democratic, and more prosperous hemisphere. And a strong
    relationship between our countries is based upon mutual trust and mutual
    respect.
        President Calderon, I
    appreciate your determination to create new opportunities for the people
    of Mexico. I share your commitment to building an Americas where the
    poor and the marginalized begin to feel the blessings of liberty in
    their daily lives. I respect your views on migration. Because we're
    working together, I believe we will make good progress on this important
    issue. Together, we're working to ensure that we

    [[Page 302]]

    have a secure and modern border that speeds the legitimate flow of
    people and commerce and stop those who threaten our common safety and
    prosperity.
        The United States respects rule of law. But in the debate on
    migration, I remind my fellow citizens that family values do not stop at
    the Rio Grande River, that there are decent, hard-working, honorable
    citizens of Mexico who want to make a living for their families. And so,
    Mr. President, my pledge
    to you and your Government--but more importantly, the people of Mexico--
    is I will work as hard as I possibly can to pass comprehensive
    immigration reform.
        We support your plans to improve education and health care and
    housing for all your citizens. We will continue to work with you to
    expand opportunities for trade and investment. We will work together to
    facilitate a smooth transition to full trade, especially on sensitive
    issues like corn and beans. We recognize that the best hope to lift
    millions out of poverty is to spread prosperity through free and fair
    trade. The people of the United States understand that when we help our
    neighbors build a better life for themselves, we advance peace and
    prosperity for all of us.
        Today, the most important ties between the United States and Mexico
    are not government to government, they are people to people. These ties
    include churches and faith-based institutions that serve people on both
    sides of the frontera. These ties include our colleges and universities,
    which run important exchange programs for students and teachers. These
    ties include our businesses, which trade one another--trade with one
    another and invest in each other's countries. And these ties include the
    families who send an estimated $20 billion in remittances each year to
    their relatives here in Mexico, one of the largest private economic
    initiatives in the world. These ties are vital, and they are growing.
        Mr. President,
    geography has made our countries neighbors, but the choice we've made
    for each other is a choice for freedom. And that choice has made us
    friends. I'm honored to be in your country. I'm looking forward to our
    discussions over the next 2 days. You have set a very ambitious agenda
    that is going to require a lot of hard work. But I'm confident that by
    working together, we'll build a better life and a future of hope for our
    peoples.
        Thank you for having me. God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:04 a.m. at Hacienda Temozon. In his
    remarks, he referred to Margarita Esther Zavala Gomez del Campo, wife of
    President Calderon. President Calderon spoke in Spanish, and his remarks
    were translated by an interpreter. The Office of the Press Secretary
    also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.