[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

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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

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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.