[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 36 (Monday, September 10, 2001)]
[Page 1268]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Joint Cabinet Meeting With President Fox of Mexico

September 5, 2001

    President Bush. Mr. President, first, let me introduce you to many 
of the members of our press corps, which are fine Americans. [Laughter]
    We have had an extraordinary meeting. Not only did the President and 
I meet in the Oval Office for a continuation of our frank discussions on 
very important issues that relate to our two countries, we then just had 
a joint Cabinet meeting.
    I suspect this is the first time there has been a joint Cabinet 
meeting between the Mexican Government and the United States Government, 
or the United States Government and any government for that matter. And 
some of our Cabinet officials briefed the President and me on a variety 
of subjects: crime, agriculture, water issues, energy, migration, and 
foreign policy within the region.
    What I came away with is that the spirit of cooperation has never 
been stronger, that not only do the President and I consider ourselves 
friends but our Cabinet officials have gotten to know each other on a 
personal basis. And the dialog is very important and very frank.
    Our relationship with Mexico is an incredibly important 
relationship. It's one where there's a lot of opportunity, and it's a 
relationship where there are problems. And in order to deal with those 
problems and take advantage of those opportunities, it's important to 
have discussions at all levels in our government. And this is what we've 
begun.
    Mr. President, I'm so honored you are here. This is the first state 
visit that I've had as the President, and I can't think of a better 
state visit and a better way to culminate the morning than to have had a 
frank discussion amongst the able team that you've put together and the 
able team that I've put together.
    I'd be glad to have some of your comments, Mr. President.
    President Fox. Thank you very much. I think there are a lot of 
expectations out of this visit, the state visit to the United States. We 
are very pleased and honored to be here, especially to witness the 
effort, the amount of jobs, the amount of work and meetings that have 
gone through since we last met in Mexico.
    As was mentioned here, the ambiente is the correct ambiente; it is 
of a professionalism; it is a frank and open discussions; it is of 
productivity, this ambiente which we are living during the day.
    It was mentioned here that today we have an everyday contact on most 
of the working teams that are doing this job behind the scene that we're 
seeing here. I'm very, very satisfied, where we have been reported today 
as the work that has been done in the last 6 months. And there is clear 
advantage on each of the subjects.
    But more so, there is a clear advance on this philosophy of trust 
that we are building in, that we have built in the process, and that is 
the foundation of the actions, the deliberations, the discussions, and 
the conclusions and decisions that are being taken all along through the 
process.
    So to us, today we reaffirm that this friendship, this strong 
relationship that has been built between Mexico and the United States, 
is becoming now very productive. So we make--that this will come on 
flowing in this close future and keep advancing on each of the subjects 
that we have discussed.
    Thank you.
    President Bush. Thank you all very much.

Note: The President spoke at 12:33 p.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White 
House. President Fox spoke partly in Spanish, and those portions of his 
remarks were translated by an interpreter. A tape was not available for 
verification of the content of these remarks.