On March 3rd, US President Barack Obama and Mexico President Felipe Calderón held a joint press conference from the White House. You can find a transcript from the entire conference here, but below are stand out quotes from both heads of state.
President Barack Obama:
- “The relationship between the United States and Mexico isn’t measured just in the partnership between two Presidents. It’s evident every day in the strong bonds between our two societies.”
- “I look forward to visiting Mexico when President Calderón hosts the G20 next year… I especially want to commend President Calderón for Mexico’s successful leadership of the Cancun Conference, including progress toward a Green Fund that he himself helped to get started and champion and which will help developing countries adapt to climate change.”
- “Our governments have spoken out forcefully for the human rights of the Libyan people, and Mexico played a leading role at the United Nations in suspending Libya from the Human Rights Council.”
- “Mexico is standing tall” and ready to take its “rightful place in the world.”
- “We’re also deepening our cooperation against the drug cartels that threaten both our peoples… President Calderón and the Mexican people have shown extraordinary courage in the fight for their country… Mexico has a full partner with the United States. Because whether they live in Texas or Tijuana, our people have a right to be safe in their communities.”
- “I reiterated that the United States accepts our shared responsibility for the drug violence.”
- “I remain deeply committed to fixing our broken immigration system with comprehensive reform that continues to secure our borders, enforces our laws — including against businesses that break the law — and requiring accountability from undocumented workers.”
President Felipe Calderón:
- “Mexico and the United States are authentic, strategic partners, as can be seen by our joint work on the global and regional agendas.”
- “I would like to congratulate President Obama for the visit that he will be making to Brazil, Chile and El Salvador in a few weeks’ time. Greater dialogue among the United States and Latin American nations will always be beneficial to the hemisphere, and beneficial not just for Latin American countries but also for the United States.”
- “In terms of the border, both President Obama and I agree that we must turn this area into the land of opportunities and not of conflict.”
- “The United States and Mexico can and must make the most of the comparative advantages that make us unique as a region and that would enable us to convert, to turn North America in its entirety into the most competitive region of the world. I am convinced that together we can achieve this.”
- “Both governments have taken on our positions as co-responsible parties in the fight against transnational organized crime. This is a paradigm change in our relationship. And today we have reached increased levels of exchange of information that are unheard of in the past. I would like to thank President Obama for the clarity with which he speaks of the effects that the consumption of drugs has on his country, as well as the illegal traffic of weapons and of monies into Mexican territory. I know that together we can achieve ever greater results.”
- “In the fight for the security of Mexico, thousands of military officers and members of the police force have died in Mexico. They fall in the line of duty. And to these deaths we add the death of Agent Jaime Zapata from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency of the United States. And I would like to add my deepest condolences to his relatives, to the people and government of United States in view of his death.”
For the full transcript of this joint press release, visit the White House’s website.
