[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 11 (Monday, March 19, 2007)]
[Pages 327-328]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Dinner Hosted by President Felipe de Jesus Calderon 
Hinojosa of Mexico in Merida

March 13, 2007

    Mr. President, Mrs. Zavala, members of your government, Governor of 
Yucatan, the mayor of Merida, other government officials, distinguished 
guests: Buenas noches, y gracias. Laura and I are delighted to be back 
in Mexico. We're grateful for the warm hospitality of President Calderon 
and Mrs. Zavala. We appreciate the chance to dine in this beautiful 
setting, which calls to mind Mexico's rich history and its bright 
future.
    For Laura and me, the connection to Mexico stretches back for 
decades. Somos Tejanos. We have come to admire your country, the people, 
and your culture. As Governor, I worked closely with my counterparts on 
this side of the border and made a lot of friends in Mexico. As 
President, Mexico was the first country I visited and the first country 
whose leader I welcomed for a state dinner at the White House. Over the 
past 6 years, I've traveled all across your nation--from here in Merida 
to Monterrey to Los Cabos on the Pacific Coast. And this evening the 
relationship between Mexico and the United States is as strong and is as 
vibrant as it has ever been, and President Calderon and I intend to keep 
it that way.
    The ties between our countries are deep and lasting. We are united 
by the bonds of family. We are united by the growing commerce that 
crosses our border each day. And we are united in our faith in an 
Almighty God.
    The accident of geography made our two countries neighbors, but 
common values have made us friends. The most important value we share is 
our belief in democracy, and last year, the world saw Mexican democracy 
in action. Across the country, large numbers of voters turned out for an 
election that was open, honest, and really close. Come to think of it, 
it sounds familiar to me. [Laughter] Your fidelity to the democratic 
process was the mark of a nation growing in confidence and freedom. And 
in the end, the Mexican people chose a good man to be their President.
    Shortly before his inauguration, President Calderon came to see me 
in the Oval Office. I was impressed by his character, his leadership, 
and his devotion to the Mexican people. He's an innovative thinker with 
a vision of justice and prosperity for all in this nation. And during 
his first 100 days as President, he's shown his commitment to delivering 
results for all the people he has served. In my conversations today, he 
shared his willingness to work with members of all political parties and 
with people from all sectors of the civil society.
    Today we discussed the President's top priorities. I share those 
priorities. His top priority is to provide security throughout the 
country. He's taking bold steps to enforce the rule of law, and to crack 
down on organized crime and drugs, and reform the judicial system.
    The United States is a strong partner in these efforts. We've got 
work to do on our side of the border. People provide drugs because there 
is a demand for drugs, and the United States must do a better job of 
reducing the demand for drugs. And at the same time, I look forward to 
close cooperation. We'll work with the President and other Presidents in 
our region to interdict the supply of drugs.
    President Calderon also knows the importance of creating new 
opportunities for Mexico's economy. He's laid out innovative policies to 
combat poverty and to create jobs. I found one of his policies most 
interesting--rewarding Mexican companies that hire first-time workers. 
And I appreciate his strong commitment to housing and infrastructure in 
southern Mexico.
    He's called for economic reforms that encourage competition and 
fight corruption. He understands the importance of free and

[[Page 328]]

fair trade. The United States welcomes a strong Mexican economy, and we 
fully understand that we must work together to facilitate a smooth 
transition to full trade, especially on sensitive issues such as corn 
and beans.
    President Calderon holds deep convictions on the matter of 
migration, and so do I. Our nations share a 2,000-mile border, and that 
should be a source of unity, not division. So we're working together to 
keep both sides of the border open to tourism and trade and closed to 
criminals and drug dealers and smugglers and terrorists and gun runners.
    I appreciate the President's commitment to secure Mexican borders on 
both the north and the south. And I told the President today--and I'm 
going to keep repeating it while I'm here in Mexico--that I know our 
country must have comprehensive immigration reform. We are a rule of 
law. But it's important for the American citizens to understand that 
family values do not stop at the Rio Grande River and that it's in our 
Nation's interests to have a comprehensive immigration law so we can 
uphold the great values of America, values based on human dignity and 
the worth of each individual.
    And so, Mr. President, it's been a good day. We spent a lot of time 
talking about important issues in a very constructive and friendly way. 
I appreciate your candor. I appreciate your being straightforward. And I 
too would like to offer a toast to good people of Mexico and its 
leaders.

Note: The President spoke at 8:16 p.m. at Hacienda Xcanatun. In his 
remarks, he referred to Margarita Esther Zavala Gomez del Campo, wife of 
President Calderon; Governor Patricio Jose Patron Laviada of Yucatan, 
Mexico; and Mayor Manuel Jesus Fuentes Alcocer of Merida, Mexico. The 
transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also included 
the remarks of President Calderon. The Office of the Press Secretary 
also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks. A tape was 
not available for verification of the content of these remarks.