[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.