Joint Statement from
President Barack Obama and President Felipe Calderón
President Felipe Calderón and President Barack Obama today
reaffirmed the strategic partnership between the United States and
Mexico and underscored their commitment to improve the lives of all
citizens in both our countries, building upon our deep ties, and
working with mutual respect and mutual responsibility across a broad
arc of issues.
The Presidents discussed the wide range of bilateral, hemispheric, and
global issues that affect our two countries and reaffirmed the shared
values that guide our approaches to economic competitiveness,
environmental conservation, clean energy, climate change, nuclear non
proliferation, and the safety, social and economic well-being, and
security of our citizens.
Enhancing Mutual Economic Growth
Mexico and the United States enjoy a vital economic and trading
partnership that the Presidents vowed to enhance, reinforcing efforts
to create jobs, promote economic recovery and expansion, and shared
inclusive prosperity across all levels of society in both countries.
A key component of our global competitiveness is creating a border for
the Twenty-First Century. The Presidents recognize that our
border offers singular opportunities for both countries. We must
develop it and manage it in a holistic fashion and in ways that
facilitate the secure, efficient, and rapid flows of goods and people
and reduce the costs of doing business between our two countries.
Both the United States and Mexico benefit from expediting legitimate
travel through and between our two countries, especially by those who
live in the border region.
The Presidents took note of the progress underway in building that
Twenty-First Century Border, including the opening of three new border
crossings this year, initiation of three additional binational bridge
projects, and significant modernization projects at existing border
facilities. To spur further advancements in creating a modern,
secure, and efficient border, the Presidents directed their respective
cabinets to form a bilateral Executive Steering Committee, with
appropriate representatives from each government, to implement a
Declaration on Twenty-First Century Border Management, that will be
released later today, to help make the Twenty-First Century Border a
reality. It will include a first-ever binational 24-month plan of
action to improve cross-border trade and travel.
The Presidents agreed that safe, efficient, secure, and compatible
transportation is a prerequisite for mutual economic growth. They
committed to continuing their countries’ cooperation in system
planning, operational coordination, and technical cooperation in key
modes of transportation.
The Presidents also committed to significantly enhance the economic
competitiveness and the economic well-being of both the United States
and Mexico through improved regulatory cooperation. Such cooperation
can increase economic growth in each country; lower costs for
consumers, businesses, producers, and governments; increase trade in
goods and services across our borders; and improve our ability to
protect the environment, health and safety of our citizens. To increase
regulatory transparency; provide early warning of regulations with
potential bilateral effects; strengthen the analytic basis of
regulations; and help make regulations more compatible, the Presidents
directed the creation of a High-Level Regulatory Cooperation Council,
which will be comprised of senior-level regulatory, trade, and foreign
affairs officials from both countries.
Innovation and investment in technology and human capital are keys to
sustained economic growth and competitiveness in both Mexico and the
United States. The protection of intellectual property rights is
essential to promote such innovation and investment. With this in
mind, the Presidents charged their administrations to work together to
formalize and expand the efforts of the existing bilateral Intellectual
Property Rights Working Group. These efforts will include
industry training (including of small and medium size enterprises);
work between Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) and the
United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) to streamline patent
reviews; and collaboration, training and increased intelligence sharing
among law enforcement agencies to enforce intellectual property rights
more effectively. The Presidents also reaffirmed their commitment
to the negotiation of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and
charged their administrations to conclude these negotiations soon.
Reflecting on the progress made in the commercial relationship, the two
Presidents noted that Mexico and Mexican companies are among the
largest customers in the world for the U.S. Export-Import Bank
(EXIM). Mexico is poised to be first country in the world where
EXIM exceeds $10 billion in financing to support U.S. exports, in turn
supporting investments and the transfer of new technology to Mexico.
The Presidents also discussed ongoing differences that inevitably arise
from a mature and comprehensive trading relationship, and committed to
renew efforts to resolve these pending issues in a cooperative fashion.
Meeting Energy Needs and Protecting
the Environment
The Presidents recognize the close link between economic growth,
competitiveness, and sustainable development and their bilateral clean
energy and environment agenda. They reaffirmed that the United
States and Mexico share a common goal of achieving strong economic
growth while addressing the climate change challenge and increasing the
reliability of our energy infrastructure. The Leaders reviewed
the efforts both countries are undertaking to limit greenhouse gas
emissions, promote green energy, and improve energy reliability in the
context of the Bilateral Framework for Clean Energy and Climate Change
announced during President Obama’s April 2009 visit to Mexico City.
To build on that progress, the Presidents resolved to create a
Cross-Border Electricity Task Force to promote regional renewable
energy markets between our two countries. The Task Force will
review opportunities and obstacles to cross border trade in renewable
energy, advancing options on standards, electricity transmission, grid
connections, and other policy measures that create market incentives
for investment and trade in renewable energy technologies. The
leaders also committed to increasing grid reliability and resiliency,
including collaboration on smart grid standards and technology to make
energy use more efficient and reliable in both Mexico and the United
States.
Recognizing that the cleanest source of energy is more efficient energy
use, the Presidents committed the relevant agencies in each government
to hold joint workshops this fall to accelerate energy efficiency
improvements in the building and transportation sectors, including
green building certification, enhanced trade in green building
materials, and best practices in light-duty vehicle mileage regulation.
In the context of discussing a shared clean energy future, the
Presidents recognized the increasing interplay of trade and climate
policies and the importance of engaging directly on these. Both
committed to direct their trade authorities to commence a dialogue with
other countries on these issues. In particular, the Presidents
committed to explore the possibility of early action to liberalize
tariffs on climate-friendly technologies as a first step towards
encouraging mutually supportive trade and climate policies.
The two Leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and stressed
the importance of reaching a successful outcome in Cancun.
President Obama supported Mexico’s leadership role as chair of the 16th
Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC and expressed readiness to work
with Mexico. Both leaders also underscored their commitment to
the Copenhagen Accord and its implementation.
The Presidents noted the long history of bilateral cooperation in the
conservation of natural and cultural resources. They recognized
that Big Bend National Park and Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River in the
United States and the Protected Areas of Maderas del Carmen,
Cañon de Santa Elena, Ocampo, and Río Bravo del Norte in
Mexico together comprise one of the largest and most significant
ecological complexes in North America. In doing so, they
recognized that increased cooperation in these protected areas would
restrict development and enhance security in the region and within this
fragile desert ecosystem. To preserve this region of
extraordinary biological diversity, they expressed their support for
the United States Department of Interior and the Secretariat of
Environment and Natural Resources of the United Mexican States to work
through appropriate national processes to recognize and designate Big
Bend – Rio Bravo as a natural area of binational interest. The
Presidents underscored their commitment to manage the region in a way
that enhances security and protects these areas for wildlife
preservation, ecosystem restoration, climate change adaptation,
wildland fire management, and invasive species control.
Both Presidents expressed their commitment to ensure energy security in
North America and to the safe, efficient and equitable exploitation of
transboundary reservoirs with the highest degree of safety and
environmental standards, and instructed their teams to take steps,
consistent with the findings of key investigations into the BP
Deepwater Horizon oil spill, toward advancing that shared
commitment. In this regard, they instructed their teams to seek a
moratorium on exploitation activities along the maritime boundary in
the Western Gap in the Gulf of Mexico. President Obama thanked
President Calderon for the offers of assistance Mexico has provided
with regard to on-going efforts related to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil
spill in the Gulf of Mexico in accordance with the United States-Mexico
Joint Contingency Plan for Maritime Pollution.
Cooperating Against Transnational
Organized Crime
The Presidents highlighted the abiding importance of safeguarding
communities on both sides of our shared border and reaffirmed their
mutual commitment to confront criminal organizations that represent a
serious threat to the security and well-being of Mexicans and
Americans. They recognized that the United States and Mexico
share responsibility for defeating and dismantling the illicit criminal
networks that traffic drugs into the United States, and illegal weapons
and illicit revenues into Mexico, and that these transnational networks
are associated with much of the crime and violence occurring in Mexico
today. Both Presidents evaluated on-going efforts to stem the illegal
flow of weapons and bulk cash into Mexico and will seek to reinforce
cooperation and efforts in this critical area.
The Presidents recognized that the Twenty-First Century Border must
ensure the safety and security of residents in communities along both
sides of the border and affirmed the mutual interest of Mexico and the
United States to prevent entry into our countries of people who pose a
threat to the national security of both nations. The Presidents
affirmed their commitment to close, continuing, and constant bilateral
cooperation and coordination to combat illicit activities and
transnational criminal organizations. They pledged to work
together to prevent human smuggling and trafficking.
The Presidents reviewed and endorsed the work of the U.S.-Mexico
Mérida Initiative High-Level Group, which met in March, 2010, in
Mexico City to lay out a shared vision for on-going and future security
cooperation between the United States and Mexico. Consistent with
that vision, the Presidents directed that cooperation focus on four
elements: disrupting the capacity of criminal organizations that act in
both countries by weakening their operational, logistical, and
financial capabilities; supporting efforts to strengthen public
institutions responsible for combating organized crime, including the
promotion of the full observance of rule of law, human rights, and
active civil society participation; developing a secure and competitive
Twenty-First Century Border; and, building strong and resilient
communities in both countries by supporting efforts to address the root
causes of crime and violence, especially concerning youth, promoting
the culture of lawfulness, reducing illicit drug use, and stemming the
flow of potential recruits for the cartels by promoting constructive,
legal alternatives for young people.
The Presidents recognized the particular importance of these four
elements, and of robust bilateral cooperation to act upon them, in
border communities that unite our two countries, such as Ciudad
Juárez, Chihuahua, and El Paso, Texas. From the Gulf of
Mexico to the Pacific, communities on both sides of the border share
deep economic and social ties, and an interest in their own safety and
welfare as well as that of their neighbors. The Presidents
committed to work together against organized criminal groups in the
border region and to cooperate to promote public safety and social
resiliency, and to bring people and institutions together across our
shared border.
They also received a progress report and took stock of the on-going
efforts to define a bilateral implementation plan that includes a
roadmap of next steps and the benchmarking necessary to measure success.
President Obama discussed with President Calderón a number of
enhancements to U.S. civilian law enforcement efforts in the Southwest
Border region to ensure that the United States is doing all that it can
to safeguard the population there and deter illegal flows in both
directions across that border, including the deployment of increased
resources and personnel from the Departments of Homeland Security and
Justice.
Both Presidents reviewed the implementation status of the Merida
Initiative and the steps taken to expedite delivery of security-related
resources under the Initiative to Mexico. As a follow up to
discussions at the recent High-Level Group meeting in Mexico, President
Calderon welcomed President Obama’s commitment to deliver, earlier than
planned, a number of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft that will
complement the Government of Mexico’s efforts against transnational
organized criminal organizations.
The Presidents recognized that illicit drugs take a heavy toll on the
health of our citizens and our communities and acknowledged that we
must work to reduce drug use and minimize the consequences of such use,
emphasizing both treatment and prevention. They endorsed the
shared priorities established at the Binational Conference on Drug
Demand Reduction in February, 2010, and at the meeting of the
Mérida Initiative High-Level Group. These priorities
include the development of a Bilateral Assessment on Drug Demand and
Prevalence of Use; making addiction treatment a part of mainstream
medical practice; implementing broadly drug screening, intervention,
and referral for treatment techniques; expanding drug prevention
efforts in the schools and the wider community; implementing
accreditation standards for drug treatment providers; and expanding the
role of the criminal justice system in ending drug abuse and reducing
recidivism.
Enhancing Social Well-Being and Ties
between Our People
Both Presidents underscored that human capital is one of the most
important assets that our two countries share.
President Obama underscored his commitment to comprehensive immigration
reform in the United States and detailed his Administration’s extensive
work to engage partners in the United States Congress from both
political parties to create a modern immigration system that honors our
tradition as a nation of laws, and a nation of immigrants.
President Calderón reaffirmed his vision for creating a Mexico
where all Mexicans have an opportunity to work and educate their
children, while reiterating the importance that all immigrants be
treated with full respect of their civil and human rights and
acknowledging their significant contributions to the economic, social
and cultural vitality of the United States. Both acknowledged the
importance of fixing the broken immigration system, securing the common
border and dismantling human trafficking groups, and to set clear rules
and priorities for future immigration that level the playing field for
American workers while providing a mechanism to fill labor demand in
the United States in excess of domestic capacity.
The Presidents also took note of the strong educational ties and close
academic collaboration that the people of the United States and Mexico
have enjoyed for many years. They looked forward to expanding
these programs by initiating a new exchange program for high school
students to promote mutual understanding. The Presidents
committed their governments to build upon this pilot program,
co-financed with the private sector, to help bring together the next
generation of leaders from the United States and Mexico.
The Presidents acknowledged the contributions of the Peace Corps to the
bilateral relationship and directed their respective authorities to
work together to expand the presence of Peace Corps volunteers in
Mexico, increasing cooperation with civil society organizations and
promoting community development and volunteerism. Since 2004,
hundreds of Peace Corps volunteers have worked with Mexicans to
transfer technologies, create business opportunities, and promote
conservation and sustainable livelihoods.
Engaging in the Hemisphere and Around
the Globe
Recognizing the importance of cooperation in various multilateral fora,
President Obama and President Calderón reaffirmed their intent
to coordinate closely on key issues pending before the Organization of
American States, the United Nations, and the G20, among other
international, multilateral institutions and fora.
In the Americas, the Presidents reaffirmed the importance of defending
the core principles and values of democratic governance, respect for
human rights, and self-determination in the Hemisphere and around the
world. They stressed the need for regional consensus-building to
achieve greater cooperation. The Presidents discussed the importance of
working together to help foster more systematic security cooperation,
particularly among the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Central
America, and the Caribbean, to confront the challenge of transnational
illicit networks. They also underscored the important work
underway in the context of the Pathways to Prosperity Initiative and
the Inter-American Social Protection Network that is promoting greater
economic and social inclusion throughout the Americas.
The Presidents reaffirmed the importance of defending the core
principles and values of democratic governance, respect for basic human
rights, non-intervention, and self-determination in the Americas.
In the case of Honduras, President Obama and President Calderón
recognized the important strides the country has taken since the
elections held in November 2009 to restore the democratic and
constitutional order following the June 28, 2009 coup, and expressed
their support for the on-going process of national reconciliation and
for Honduras' prompt return to full participation in the Organization
of American States and in all inter-American institutions. In the case
of Haiti, both Presidents reviewed their respective actions as part of
the massive international relief effort following the January 12
earthquake. President Calderón commended the United States for
the vital role it played in facilitating disaster response and relief
actions, and President Obama thanked Mexico for its important
contributions to that effort. Both Presidents agreed to continue
bilateral consultations and coordination to help consolidate Haiti’s
reconstruction efforts.
As global partners who share common values, as members of the most
relevant international bodies, and as part of their efforts to continue
expanding the strategic dialogue between both nations, the Presidents
exchanged views on several global issues of common concern.
Taking into account the presence of both the United States and Mexico
in the United Nations Security Council, they paid special attention to
the current situation of the non-proliferation regime and to nuclear
disarmament issues in the context of the on-going Non-Proliferation
Treaty Review Conference. The two leaders committed to work to
achieve a successful Review Conference and in that regard expressed
their readiness to cooperate to strengthen the capacity of the
international community to enforce this regime and to progress on the
full access to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy for countries that
comply with their international obligations. In this regard, the
Presidents underscored their full determination to decisively support
the IAEA and its verification efforts by addressing situations of
special concern in the relevant international bodies of the United
Nations System and its Security Council, including Iran’s continued
failure to meet its international obligations on its nuclear program.
President Obama and President Calderón reaffirmed the importance
of the G20 as the premier international economic forum, and discussed
the need for continued focus on economic recovery and job
creation. The Leaders also discussed their efforts to implement
the Pittsburgh Summit commitments, and call on all G20 members to make
progress on fulfilling G20 commitments in advance of the Toronto Summit.
The bilateral dialogue between Presidents Obama and Calderón
underscores their commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership
between both countries, and they will continue working closely together
in bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral fora over the coming months,
as befitting two partners and nations uniquely important for the
well-being, prosperity and security of one another.
###
President Barack Obama
and President Felipe Calderón
Joint Press
Availability
Rose Garden
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
[WHITE HOUSE TRANSCRIPT]
12:20 P.M. EDT
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good afternoon. Buenas tardes. I
want to again welcome President Calderón to the White
House. Michelle and I are delighted to be hosting the President
and First Lady Margarita Zavala and their delegation for this state
visit, and we’re looking forward to returning the hospitality -- the
wonderful hospitality that we received in Mexico when we have our state
dinner this evening.
I’ve often said that in our interconnected world, where nations and
peoples are linked like never before, both the promise and perils of
our time are shared. Nowhere is this clearer than among the
neighbors -- the United States and Mexico.
The trade and tourism between us creates jobs and prosperity for both
our peoples. When a flu spreads, or an earthquake strikes, or
cartels threaten innocent people, it affects lives on both sides of our
common border. When our neighbors are in need, whether in
Honduras or in Haiti, we respond together. And when we expand
partnerships between our people, it forges connections that leads to
greater prosperity and opportunity for decades to come.
In pursuit of our shared future, I have a true partner in President
Calderón. We’ve worked together in Mexico City and
Guadalajara, in Washington and Pittsburgh, in London and
L’Aquila. And when he speaks before a joint session of Congress
tomorrow, I believe the American people will see what I see -- they’ll
see a leader who is guiding his country through very difficult times
with vision and with courage, and he has been an outstanding partner to
me and an outstanding partner to the United
States.
Indeed, our progress today marks another step forward in a new era of
cooperation and partnership between our countries -- a partnership
based on mutual interests, mutual respect and mutual responsibility.
We agreed to continue working aggressively on our highest economic
priority, which is creating jobs for our people. Mexico is one of
our largest trading partners, with trade that supports countless jobs
here in America and in Mexico. And because 80 percent of the
trade passes over our land border, we reaffirmed our commitment to a
21st century border that is modern, secure and efficient. And
we’re directing our governments to develop an action plan to move in
this direction, because our shared border must be an engine, and not a
brake, on our economic growth.
To create jobs and increase our competitiveness in the global economy,
we agreed to streamline regulations and strengthen the protection of
intellectual property. We agreed to continue working with our G20
partners to encourage that global economic growth is balanced and
sustained, especially as we approach next month’s Toronto summit.
And as the United States works to increase our exports, and the jobs
that come with it, we’ll be working closely with our partners in
Mexico, which is one of the largest markets for American exports.
To create clean energy jobs and industries of the future, we’re
building on a partnership we launched last year with new initiatives to
promote regional renewable energy markets, green buildings and smart
grid technology. These initiatives will also help us implement
the commitments we made at Copenhagen, especially as we work toward the
climate conference in Cancun later this year. And let me say
that, as a leader in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and in helping
developing countries do the same, Mexico’s leadership under President
Calderón has been and will be critical.
For the sake of our shared prosperity and security, we discussed the
need for immigration that is orderly and safe, and we acknowledged that
both our countries have responsibilities. President
Calderón is working hard to create jobs so that more Mexicans
see a future of opportunity in their country.
To fix our broken immigration system, I reaffirmed my deep commitment
to working with Congress in a bipartisan way to pass comprehensive
immigration reform. And comprehensive reform means accountability
for everybody: government that is accountable for securing the
border; businesses being held accountable when they exploit workers;
people who break the law by breaching our borders being held
accountable by paying taxes and a penalty and getting right with the
law before they can earn their citizenship. We’ve been working
hard to get this done. There’s a strong proposal in the Senate,
based on a bipartisan framework, and it can and should move forward.
We also discussed the new law in Arizona, which is a misdirected effort
-- a misdirected expression of frustration over our broken immigration
system, and which has raised concerns in both our countries.
Today, I want every American to know my administration has devoted
unprecedented resources in personnel and technology to securing our
border. Illegal immigration is down, not up, and we will continue
to do what’s necessary to secure our shared border.
And I want everyone, American and Mexican, to know my administration is
taking a very close look at the Arizona law. We’re examining any
implications, especially for civil rights. Because in the United
States of America, no law-abiding person -- be they an American
citizen, a legal immigrant, or a visitor or tourist from Mexico --
should ever be subject to suspicion simply because of what they look
like.
President Calderón and I also reaffirmed our commitment to stand
together against the drug cartels that have unleashed horrific violence
in so many communities. Mr. President, you and the Mexican people
have shown great resolve in a fight for the security and safety of your
country. And as I’ve pledged to you before, Mexico can count on
the United States as a full partner in this effort.
As your partner, we’ll give you the support you need to prevail.
Through increased law enforcement on our side of the border, we’re
putting unprecedented pressure on those who traffic in drugs, guns, and
people. We’re working to stem the southbound flow of American
guns and money, which is why, for the first time, we are now screening
100 percent of southbound rail cargo. And guided by our new National
Drug Control Strategy, we’re bringing new approaches to reducing the
demand for drugs in our country.
As regional partners, the President and I discussed the situation in
Honduras and the need for continued cooperation to support the people
of Haiti as they recover and they rebuild. And as global
partners, and given Mexico’s seat on the U.N. Security Council, we
agreed on the need for Iran to uphold its international obligations or
face increased sanctions and pressure, including U.N. sanctions.
And I’m pleased that we’ve reached an agreement with our P5-plus-1
partners on a strong resolution that we now have shared with our
Security Council partners.
Finally, I’m proud that we’re expanding exchanges between our college
and university students and launching a new exchange program for our
high school students. I’d note that it was a Mexican student at
an American university who went on to become the President who stands
next to me today. And with these exchanges we’ll bring together
the next generation of American and Mexican leaders.
This is the progress that we’ve made today. It’s progress that
calls to mind a Mexican proverb that I am told says, “Tell me who you
walk with, and I will tell you who you are.” Mr. President, the
United States is proud to walk with Mexico. And through our work,
we’re reminded again of who we are -- which is two neighbors, two
partners bound by a common vision of prosperity and security for both
our people.
President Calderón.
PRESIDENT CALDERÓN: (As translated.) Thank you,
President.
Ladies and gentlemen, members of the media, good afternoon. First of
all, I would like to thank the kind invitation of the people and the
government of the United States to carry out this visit. And I am
the bearer of a respectful and affectionate greeting of the Mexican
people to this nation, which is our neighbor and friend. I would
like to thank the words and the hospitality of President Barack Obama.
The United States and Mexico are nations that trade, dialogue, and
complement each other economically and mutually. We are nations
that have a political understanding of the highest level. And we
are also countries with a fruitful, dynamic, and ties between people,
communities, public and private institutions throughout 3,000
kilometers of border. Our relationship is characterized by an
honest and open dialogue based on trust, respect, and
co-responsibility.
As it has been stated by President Obama, this morning we held a broad
and fruitful dialogue. We’ve reviewed our bilateral relationships
-- the problems, the challenges and also the many opportunities that we
face. We analyzed different proposals and visions on the side of
Mexico and the United States to strengthen North America as a region.
We talked about the relevance of solving our differences and trade
problems in the fastest possible way. We covered the border
topics such as security, migration, and we also examined initiatives to
consolidate our cooperation in global scenarios and global interests.
I can highlight here that the areas where we agree are broader than our
differences. There’s a broad convergence of interest. And
this is not only given to the fact that we share common goals, but
there is a will in both of us to turn the fact of being neighbors into
a partnership that will act as a leveler for shared development.
Fortunately, the serious economic global crisis is giving up.
This opens up a window of opportunity for Canada, the United States and
Mexico to re-position Mexico and North America as a vigorous region --
competitive and prosperous, capable of generating more and better jobs;
a region that will be attractive for investments, trade exchange and
tourism, with great perspectives facing the future.
Together, we should increase our exporting capacity in a contest of
growing competitiveness among different regions of the world. We
talked about the different obstacles that are there for complying with
transportation obligations that have been established at NAFTA, a
situation that impacts jobs, companies and consumers in Mexico and in
the United States. And we shall work in order to achieve a quick
solution with a constructive, creative solution in the long term in
this and many other areas.
As the President has stated, we gave special attention to the border
matters. The border is not only a place of encounter for both our
nations, but it’s also an area of opportunity for our aspirations that
we share regarding development. For this we will allocate more
resources for the border infrastructure in order that it will be at the
height of the needs of our economies and communities, and that it will
benefit both sides of the border. We will strengthen the
coordination among the government officials on both sides of the border
to reinforce security.
We want to make this quite clear: We, both countries, want to
have a safe border, a safe border for our people. We agreed upon
the urgency to reinforce the actions to stop the flow of drugs,
weapons, and cash. And for this we will work with full abidance
to the legislations and jurisdictions of each country in a
co-responsible way.
In reference to the migratory issue, I acknowledge the sensitivity and
the commitment of President Obama to look for a comprehensive solution
that will be respectful of the rights of the individual and will be
adjusting itself in a realistic way to the needs of both our
economies. We talked openly about this and other issues.
We identified that the economies of our countries are clearly
complementing each other, and when we -- integrating them, they are a
powerful tool to bring productivity and competitiveness up within the
whole region. Greater competitiveness in North America means more
jobs and better living conditions for the people of the United States
and for the people of Mexico.
In Mexico, we are and will continue being respectful of the internal
policies of the United States and its legitimate right to establish in
accordance to its Constitution whatever laws it approves. But we
will retain our firm rejection to criminalize migration so that people
that work and provide things to this nation will be treated as
criminals. And we oppose firmly the S.B. 1070 Arizona law given
in fair principles that are partial and discriminatory.
This and other issues were covered during this meeting, which I will
dare to say that it’s historic given the level of understanding and
trust that we have reached.
For the meantime, I would just like to highlight this open and honest
and constructive dialogue that we keep and hold with the government of
President Obama and these two countries that allows me to see the
strength and leadership of the President of the United States.
Thank you, President Obama, for your hospitality. I want to thank
all of you for your kind attention.
Q Thank you, Mr.
President. President Calderón called again the Arizona law
discriminatory and called it destructive. Do you agree with
him? What impact do you think the Arizona law could have on
U.S.-Mexico relations, the prospect for immigration reform, and the
opinions of Mexican Americans in this country? And what actions
did you tell President Calderón that you would --
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I think the Arizona law
has the potential of being applied in a discriminatory fashion.
Now, after it was initially passed, the Arizona legislature amended it
and said that this should not be carried out in a discriminatory
way. But I think a fair reading of the language of the statute
indicates that it gives the possibility of individuals who are deemed
suspicious of being illegal immigrants from being harassed or
arrested. And the judgments that are going to be made in applying
this law are troublesome.
What I’ve directed my Justice Department to do
is to look very carefully at the language of this law to see whether it
comports both with our core values and existing legal standards, as
well as the fact that the federal government is ultimately the one
charged with immigration policy. And I expect to get a final
report back from the Justice Department soon, at which point we’ll make
some decisions in terms of how we are going to address that law.
Now, what I’ve also said, though, is that the
Arizona law, I think, expresses some of the frustrations that the
American people have had in not fixing a broken immigration system and,
frankly, the failures of the federal government to get this done. I’m
sympathetic to those frustrations; I share those frustrations -- which
is why, from the time that I was a U.S. senator through the time that I
ran for President, until now, I have consistently said that I’m
supportive of a comprehensive immigration reform approach.
And I think the majority of American people are open
to a comprehensive immigration reform approach, which would say the
following things: Number one, that the federal government takes
its responsibilities for securing our border seriously. And as I
just stated in my opening remarks, we have actually put more resources,
more personnel on the borders, and illegal immigration is actually down
on the borders, not up. I know that’s not the perception out
there, but that’s the fact.
But we haven’t done enough. So we’ve got a
responsibility to create an orderly border, and that’s something that
we have to do not unilaterally, but also working with the Mexican
government -- because there are enormous flows of trade and tourists
and people along the border region; the economies are interdependent;
and we’ve got to control the borders, but do so in a way that does not
have an adverse impact on the economies of those regions.
The second thing we’ve got to do is we’ve got
to make sure that businesses are following the rules and are not
actively recruiting undocumented workers so that they don’t have to
abide by overtime laws, they don’t have to abide by minimum wage laws,
they don’t have to abide by worker safety laws and otherwise undercut
basic worker protections that exist. And they have to be held
accountable and responsible.
The third thing we have to do is to make sure
that those who have come to this country illegally are held
accountable. And that means they need to pay a fine, they need to
pay back taxes. I believe they should learn English. I believe
that it is important for them to get to the back of the line and not in
the front, but that we create a pathway so that they have an
opportunity, if they are following the rules, following the law, to
become legal residents and ultimately citizens of this country.
Now, that kind of package in which everybody
has responsibilities I think is one that can pass. And it is one
that I am fully supportive of. And I’ve said this again and
again. And I think if we get that done, then you will be less
likely to see the kinds of measures that we saw in Arizona.
Here’s the challenge that we have
politically. The political challenge is, is that I have
confidence that I can get the majority of Democrats, both in the House
and the Senate, to support a piece of legislation of the sort that I
just described. But I don’t have 60 votes in the Senate. I’ve got
to have some support from Republicans. When we made an effort of
this sort a few years ago, it was under the leadership of John McCain
and Ted Kennedy. And because there was a bipartisan effort, we
were actually able to generate a majority of votes in the Senate.
And we just missed being able to get it done in the House.
If we can re-create that atmosphere -- I don't
expect to get every Republican vote, but I need some help in order to
get it done. And there have been people who have expressed an
interest. But if they're willing to come forward and get a working
group and get this moving, I’m actually confident that we can get it
done. And the American people -- including the people of Arizona
-- are going to prefer that the federal government takes responsibility
and does what it’s supposed to do.
And it’s my job to work with members of
Congress to see that happen. And it’s also my job to work with
the Mexican government to make sure that it happens, because President
Calderón recognizes that he has responsibilities on his side of
the border, as well.
And the last point I’ll make on this topic is
this: I think all of us recognize that some of the pressures with
respect to immigration just arise out of economics. People in
Mexico are looking for opportunity, and they feel that they can make
more money here in the United States. What we also have to
recognize -- and I talked about this with President Calderón --
is every nation also has the right to secure its borders and make
orderly decisions about who comes in and who comes out.
And the key here is for us to keep both principles
in mind, that people want to find a better life where they can, and if
they have opportunity in America, they're going to want to come
here. We can’t just try to use force to prevent that. On
the other hand, the United States has to be able to make determinations
about who comes in and who comes out in an orderly fashion. And
if we are both a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants, then I
think we will not only be true to our core values, but we’re also going
to be creating a more prosperous future for everybody.
Yes.
Q (Translated.) President
Obama, several issues, but not to detour from this same topic, I would
like to know if you have already a strategy planned in regards to the
Arizona law? Because it is violating the fundamental rights of
people. How are you going to turn around this trend, President
Obama, that is being shown in different states of the United States
against migrants -- this migratory reform that you’re talking about --
to know when it will be taken to Congress and what’s the scope that it
will have?
The second area regarding security, President
Obama, I would like to know how do you value the battle against
organized crime that President Calderón is having? Has
this been a success? What is it missing? And following this
issue, to know if you have seen that the weapons that illegally cross
from the United States to Mexico are the ones that are used by the
organized crime people in Mexico? Shouldn’t there be an
initiative that will regulate guns as they are sold? Is there
going to be a ban?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: -- a pretty
comprehensive answer earlier, so I’m just going to take your second
question and that is the issue of security. This is obviously a
shared concern and is going to require shared effort on the part of
both of our nations. I said the first time I met President
Calderón and have said ever since that I greatly admire his
courage, his dedication, his tenacity in trying to deal with the drug
traffickers and cartels that have created such a public safety crisis
in many communities within Mexico.
As we pointed out, this is not just an issue
of the drug trade -- this is an issue of how is it affecting people’s
day-to-day lives within Mexico. And the Mexican people have an
interest in dealing with this. And he has stood up consistently
because he recognizes that his foremost job, his most important task as
President is to keep the Mexican people safe.
So we are fully supportive of the efforts that
he’s been making. We have had extensive collaboration over the
last several years in making sure that, in a way that respects Mexico’s
sovereignty, we are responsive to whatever requests are made by the
Calderón administration. To the extent that we can help
through the Merida Initiative -- provide equipment, provide training,
provide technologies that can help in these efforts -- we have done
so. And we will continue to coordinate as effectively as we can
with the Calderón administration to make sure that we deal with
this problem.
Now, as you point out, this is not just a
problem in Mexico. It is a problem that the United States has to
address. And the two things that we have to address -- and I said
this when I was in Mexico, and I will repeat here -- it is absolutely
true that U.S. demand for drugs helps to drive this public safety
crisis within Mexico and so we’ve got an obligation not to drive the
demand side of the equation. And so most recently we’ve put
forward our new strategy that emphasizes not just enforcement, but also
prevention, also treatment, so that we can drive down demand and weaken
the grip that these drug cartels have.
The second aspect of this that we have to deal
with is the southbound flows from the United States of both weapons and
cash that helps to empower these drug cartels. And so what I’ve
directed my Department of Homeland Security, ATF, all our various
agencies that have responsibilities in these areas to do is to ramp up
our efforts at interdicting these southern flows.
And I already mentioned to you, for example, we’ve
now instituted a policy where we are searching 100 percent of rail
cargo that’s going south. That is a significant investment of law
enforcement resources on our part, but it’s the right thing to
do. We want to crack down on illegal gun dealers who are selling
weapons into Mexico. All those are steps that we are doing in
coordination with the Calderón government, and we will continue
to emphasize the importance not only to Mexico, but also the United
States of tackling this problem.
Okay? Thank you very much, everybody.
END
12:48 P.M. EDT