[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 17 (Monday, April 30, 2007)]
[Pages 510-511]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With President Alan Garcia Perez of Peru

April 23, 2007

    President Bush. Que es mi honor para recibir el Presidente de Peru. 
It's my honor to receive the President of Peru. I appreciate very much 
the President's time. I thank you for coming to visit the United States. 
Es hombre muy amable. He talks--he gives good advice.
    We talked about the neighborhood. As we discussed, the United States 
wants the people of South America to fully understand, we care about 
their future, that we want there to be prosperity in the region, that we 
respect leaders who provide basic education and health care. So we had a 
very constructive conversation.
    The President is here to urge the Congress, both Republicans and 
Democrats, to pass the free trade agreement with Peru, and I urge them 
to vote yes. We talked about our mutual desire to succeed in preventing 
drugs from coming to the United States and preventing U.S. citizens from 
using drugs in the first place.
    The President's got a very clear vision of South America, and I 
really appreciated his advice and his counsel. It always helps for a 
person sitting here in the United States to get clarity of what the 
environment is like.
    And finally, I expressed our country's deepest condolence to the 
student, the Peruvian student who lost his life on the campus at 
Virginia Tech. And our prayers go to this person's family, and we ask 
for God's blessings on the family.
    Bienvenidos, hombre.
    President Garcia. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Mr. 
President. First of all, we would like to express our deepest 
condolences to the United States and to you, Mr. President, for all the 
victims that died in Virginia Tech. A Peruvian student lost his life 
there, and our prayers and our thoughts are with their families.
    Second of all, I am here in the United States to promote the FTA 
between the United States and Peru. It is vital for our country. It is 
fundamental to continue this path of growth and social redistribution 
that we have started in my country.
    We have achieved an 8 percent annual growth in my country. This 
year, we're expecting a similar growth, 8 percent annually, with a 1 
percent inflation, which creates more job opportunities. But this 
growth, as towards development, needs a greater space and a greater 
degree of investment, and for that, the FTA is essential. It would help 
us keep and maintain a strong democracy, a democracy that takes care of 
the poorest and that provides work to the unemployed. It is important to 
show the world that a democracy, with investment leads to development. 
And development is not achieved by becoming static and not opening our 
doors to the market.
    The United States, ever since its Founding Fathers, has had an 
ideal, a mission to the world. In the forties, it sacrificed the lives 
of many young people to achieve the freedom of the world. Nowadays, we 
need to focus on democracy and free trade. And I am sure that both 
Republicans and Democrats would understand that this is key to the 
mission the United States has for the world.

[[Page 511]]

    President Bush and I talked about our contribution to the hemisphere 
and to humanity, to mankind, and that is the fight against drugs and the 
fight against coke. We have started a head-on fight against drug 
trafficking in my country, against money laundering, and against coca 
leaf production by offering farmers alternative crops, which is a way 
for them to earn a living in a just and legal way.
    I have also congratulated President Bush on the very intelligent 
action he took against North Korea. It could have become a very serious 
problem for the world had it not been for the tactful intervention by 
the United States and its allied countries.
    President Bush. Thank you.
    President Garcia. In his last trip to Latin America, in spite of 
some political reactions, which are typical, it has been essential to 
see the President work with Brazil on ethanol as the new fuel. This will 
help us refocus on Latin America, which is very favorable for the 
region.
    If President Bush allows me, I am sure that during the time that we 
will coexist as Presidents, he will achieve great things in the world. 
And he will visit Peru next year. But thank you very much, Mr. 
President, for the relationship we have of friendship. You are a very 
nice person, and I'm sure that our relationship will continue to grow.
    Thank you very much.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 11:06 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. President Garcia 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.