    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [March 14, 2007]
    [Pages 314-316]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Joint Statement by the United States of America and Mexico
    March 14, 2007

        Mexico and the United States, as proud and sovereign countries,
    today reiterate their conviction that the shared values of democracy,
    transparency, rule of law, and respect for human rights are the solid
    foundation on which the increasingly rich and complex networks that link
    their economies and societies are based.
        Presidents Felipe Calderon and George Bush resolved during their first official

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    meeting in Mexico on March 13 and 14, 2007 in Merida, Yucatan, to
    strengthen the partnership between two friendly neighbors. They agreed
    that government to government relations are but one small measure of the
    interaction between our two great countries. Our ties are deeper and
    wider: they are societal, economic, cultural, and familial.
        During their meeting, the Presidents reviewed the wide range of issues of the bilateral
    relationship and the cooperation undertaken by their governments in
    order to promote productive and mutually beneficial relations between
    Mexico and the United States. The Presidents identified new
    opportunities to work together in order to improve the quality of life
    of their peoples as well as to make North America the most prosperous,
    secure and competitive region in the world.
        In this vein, the Presidents acknowledged that economic growth and job creation are
    vital to reducing poverty and inequality and improving the quality of
    life. They emphasized the centrality of expanding trade between the
    United States and Mexico as the basis for our shared prosperity. They
    recognized the need for our governments to work together to speed and
    facilitate the secure and ever-expanding movement of legitimate goods
    and people across our shared border, including the development of new
    infrastructure and the more efficient use of existing infrastructure,
    where possible.
        In seeking to enhance North American competitiveness based on the
    twin pillars of security and prosperity, the Presidents also underscored their awareness
    regarding the need to work together to facilitate the transition to full
    free trade in such areas as agricultural products. To this end, the
    Presidents agreed to intensify the discussions within the framework of
    the bilateral working group on corn and dry beans.
        The Presidents
    recognized the continued threat to both nations posed by organized crime
    and drug trafficking, especially their associated violence, which do not
    respect borders. They underlined that the important efforts of the
    Mexican Government to confront organized crime head-on, as one of the
    most important priorities of its own domestic agenda, would benefit from
    increased support from and cooperation with the United States. In this
    connection, they reiterated their commitment to intensify cooperation
    and information sharing between the law enforcement agencies of Mexico
    and the United States, especially along the border region. The
    Presidents stressed their commitment to increase bilateral cooperation
    to target criminal organizations, fight arms trafficking, which fuels
    the violence of criminal organizations, as well as drug trafficking,
    including methamphetamine and precursor chemicals, and illicit financial
    activities, including bulk currency smuggling across our borders.
        The management of the U.S.-Mexican border is a shared
    responsibility. Our common fight against organized crime must be
    accompanied by cooperative actions in other areas which will also
    promote the security, prosperity and well-being of our border
    communities. Improved communication and information-sharing at all
    levels will allow us to continue to transform the border into a region
    of growing and shared prosperity.
        Recognizing that the border region encompasses a remarkable
    diversity in landscape and native species, the Presidents acknowledged the need to continue
    efforts to protect our shared natural resources, including air and
    water, through binational cooperation.
        The Presidents
    recognized that immigration across our common border vitally links both
    countries, involves shared responsibilities, and represents one of the
    most critical issues for the future well-being of both our peoples. In
    this regard they underscored the need to encourage productive investment
    aimed at creating more and better

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    paid jobs in Mexico as an essential component of any comprehensive
    strategy to address this phenomenon and agreed on the need to continue
    advocating an approach to comprehensive immigration reform.
        The Presidents also
    agreed to explore opportunities for people-to-people exchanges,
    especially in education, as a central tool in fostering greater
    understanding between our two countries. In this context they stressed
    that the investment Mexico and the United States make in human capital
    must be considered an essential component of their efforts to promote
    North America's competitiveness and economic growth with justice and
    security for our peoples.
        Finally, Presidents Calderon and Bush reiterated their conviction that the future of
    Mexico and the United States--and of the whole North American region--is
    now, more than ever, a shared future. Our commitment to the advancement
    of democracy, the respect for human rights, the promotion of free
    markets, the rule of law, security, sustainable development, and
    expanding opportunity for all, they underlined, will contribute to the
    consolidation of a prosperous, just, and peaceful future for all
    citizens in the Americas.

    Note: The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language
    transcript of this joint statement. An original was not available for
    verification of the content of this joint statement.