For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 16, 2001
Joint Statement by President George Bush and President Vicente Fox Towards a Partnership for Prosperity
The Guanajuato Proposal
We met today at Rancho San Cristobal, in Guanajuato, in a dialogue of
friends and neighbors to agree on important goals and principles that
will govern relations between our two countries.
We are united, as
never before, by values and interests that cover the entire span of our
rich and broad relationship. That relationship is grounded
in our respect for democracy and human rights, not just for ourselves
but for all people in every nation. We share a fundamental
commitment to free trade as an engine of economic growth and
development that leaves nobody behind. And, we are committed
to ensuring the rule of law, the framework on which our people's
freedom and prosperity depends. This common outlook is the basis for a
full, mature, and equitable partnership for prosperity.
Among our
highest priorities is unfettering the economic potential of every
citizen, so each may contribute fully to narrowing the economic gaps
between and within our societies. We acknowledge the
dynamism achieved through NAFTA, which has ushered in dramatic
increases in trade that have transformed our economic
relationship. After consultation with our Canadian partners,
we will strive to consolidate a North American economic community whose
benefits reach the lesser-developed areas of the region and extend to
the most vulnerable social groups in our countries. To this
end, we support policies that result in sound fiscal accounts, low
inflation, and strong financial systems.
Migration is one of the major
ties that bind our societies. It is important that our
policies reflect our values and needs, and that we achieve progress in
dealing with this phenomenon.
We believe that Mexico should
make the most of the skills and productivity of their workers at home,
and we agree there should be an orderly framework for migration which
ensures humane treatment, legal security, and dignified labor
conditions. For this purpose, we are instructing our Governments to
engage, at the earliest opportunity, in formal high-level negotiations
aimed at achieving short and long-term agreements that will allow us to
constructively address migration and labor issues between our two
countries. This effort will be chaired by the Secretary of
State and the Attorney General of the U.S. and the Secretary of Foreign
Relations and the Secretary of the Interior of Mexico.
We attach the
utmost importance to issues affecting the quality of life along our
common border. We shall work for the economic and social
development of our border communities, fight violence and strive to
create a safe and orderly environment. We will form a new
high-level working group under the auspices of the Binational
Commission to identify specific steps each country can take to improve
the efficiency of border operations. We will begin immediate
discussions to implement the NAFTA panel decision on trucking.
Drug
trafficking, drug abuse, and organized crime are major threats to the
well-being of our societies. To combat this threat, we must
strengthen our respective law enforcement strategies and institutions,
as well as develop closer and more trusting bilateral and multilateral
cooperation. We want to reduce the demand for drugs and
eliminate narcotrafficking organizations. To this end, we
will undertake immediate steps to review law enforcement policies and
coordination efforts in accordance with each country's national
jurisdiction. We will consult with our NAFTA partner Canada
regarding development of a North American approach to the important
issue of energy resources. Building on the strength of our
respective cultures, we will seek to expand our partnership broadly in
ways that help secure a better future for our
people. Education is a key to that future; we will increase
exchanges and internships that help develop human capital and promote
respect for each other's rich cultural heritage. We will
seek new cooperation in science, technology, and the environment, on
which much of our economic progress and our people's well-being will
depend. Beyond the bilateral agenda, our two Governments are also
ready to discuss regional and hemispheric issues important to both our
nations. The Summit of the Americas, to be held in April in
Quebec City, will provide a valuable forum in which the hemisphere's
democracies can address and advance shared goals of strengthening
democratic institutions and stimulating economic prosperity through
free trade and education. We reaffirm our support for the
creation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas as soon as possible.
We
believe our two nations can now build an authentic partnership for
prosperity, based on shared democratic values and open dialogue that
bring great benefits to our people. We want to move beyond
the limitations of the past and boldly seize the unprecedented
opportunity before us. In order to achieve these goals and
follow up on the commitments we made today, we have agreed to meet
frequently, as necessary, over the course of our respective terms of
office. We will do so as friends, in a spirit of mutual
trust and respect.
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