[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 16 (Monday, April 28, 2008)]
[Pages 559-560]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Announcing the Reopening of the Mexican Consulate in New 
Orleans, Louisiana

April 21, 2008

    President Bush. Thank you. Sientese, por favor. Mr. President, we 
are sure glad you're here.
    President Felipe de Jesus Calderon Hinojosa of Mexico. Thank you, 
sir.
    President Bush. And thank you for inviting me to be here. Madam 
Foreign Minister, Consul Garcia Guerra, Ambassador, thanks. Governor, el 
alcalde--Mr. Mayor, Ambassador Garza, I am really glad to be with you on 
this special occasion. I am pleased that Mexico has chosen to reopen its 
consulate in New Orleans, and I'm honored to attend.
    New Orleans has had a long tradition of diplomatic ties with Mexico. 
In 1824, New Orleans, Louisiana, became the first site of the Mexican--
where the first Mexican--became the site for the first Mexican consulate 
in the United States. Isn't that interesting? Unfortunately, the 
consulate was closed in

[[Page 560]]

2002. And so today we're reopening the consulate. And it's a good sign, 
because we celebrate the values that cause Mexico and the United States 
to be friends, values like family and faith and culture.
    We celebrate the enduring and close partnership between our 
countries. Mexico and the United States are working together to build a 
future of prosperity and opportunity for people on both sides of the 
border.
    And at this ceremony, we also celebrate the comeback of a great 
American city. You know, I chose New Orleans for our meetings with 
Mexico and Canada because I wanted to send a clear signal to the people 
of my country that New Orleans is open for business, and it's a good 
place to visit, and that after the devastation of Katrina, it's become a 
hopeful city.
    And so, on behalf of the people of the United States, Mr. President, 
mi amigo, I thank you for reopening this consulate. I look forward to 
our meetings. And it's my honor to bring you to the podium.

Note: The President spoke at 1 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
Secretary of Foreign Relations Patricia Espinosa Cantellano and Consul 
Andrea Garcia Guerra of Mexico; Mexico's Ambassador to the U.S. Arturo 
Sarukhan Casamitjana; Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana; and Mayor C. Ray 
Nagin of New Orleans, LA. 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.