The President's News Conference with President Francisco Flores
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Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 / Mar. 24 505 I have come to Peru to congratulate the doms in the search of a democracy, the President and the people of Peru for embrac- search of economic freedom as well—giving ing the institutions of democracy. It is such people the opportunity—the opportunity to an important example for the world to see. get education, to trade of their products, and I have come to Peru to thank the people of to integrate into the new world. Peru and the President of Peru for the con- So a country like ours that believes in free- dolences that you sent to mi pais on Sep- dom feels especially honored to have a world tember the 11th. We appreciate your pray- leader that has built a leadership based on ers; we appreciate your condolences; and we values and principles, values that have to do appreciate your firm stand in the fight against with the rights of human beings. And this terror. allows us, countries that are so different like And I bring with me the condolences of the United States and El Salvador, to find the American people for those lives and the each other in a common point. families whose lives were affected as a result So welcome to our country, President of the cowardly bombing that took place in Lima last week. Bush. It is an immense honor to have you I come in the spirit of respect and coopera- here in our country. tion, respect for the people of Peru and the President Bush. Gracias, Sen˜or desire to cooperate to advance trade and Presidente, mi amigo. Thank you, President commerce and prosperity and education and Flores, for providing such warm hospitality health. I see a great future in our relation- in this beautiful country. Laura and I were ship, and I see a great future for the great struck, when we flew in, about your beautiful country of Peru. mountains and your beautiful sea. I’m hon- So it’s my honor to be here tonight to toast ored to be here for the first time in my life. my friend el Presidente, the First Lady, and We’ve just completed our fifth meeting— the people of this gran pais. this is the fifth time that the President and I have met. And in each of them, I have come NOTE: The President spoke at 8:41 p.m. in the away from our meetings most optimistic Presidential Palace. In his remarks, he referred to President Toledo’s wife, Eliane Karp Toledo; about the future of El Salvador. I truly be- President Andres Pastrana of Colombia; President lieve this country has got a unique President Jorge Fernando Quiroga Ramirez of Bolivia; and and a great President. El Salvador—and the Vice President Pedro Pinto Rubianes of Ecuador. reason why I believe that is because of the A tape was not available for verification of the success of the country. content of these remarks. El Salvador is one of the really great stories of economic and political transformation of The President’s News Conference our time. Just over a decade ago, this country With President Francisco Flores was in civil war. For millions of Salvadorans, Perez of El Salvador in San Salvador, violence was a daily reality, and prosperity El Salvador was just a distant dream. Today, El Salvador is at peace. The country has renewed its com- March 24, 2002 mitment to democracy and economic reform President Flores Perez. Good afternoon. and trade. It is one of the freest and strongest It is an honor for us to be here with you and most stable countries in our hemisphere. and to be able to answer the questions that The United States considers El Salvador you want to ask President Bush and myself. a close friend and strong ally. As friends, we I would like to start by saying that for El come to each other’s aids in times of crisis. Salvador, it is an immense honor to have Since September the 11th, El Salvador has President Bush in our land. been unwavering in its support for the inter- El Salvador has been a country that has national coalition against terrorism. I want to faced enormous difficulties—the war, com- thank the President and the people of El Sal- bat against poverty, earthquakes. And El Sal- vador for their prayers for the American peo- vador has done this through a system of free- ple during this crisis. I want to thank you VerDate 11-MAY-2000 10:54 Apr 02, 2002 Jkt 197250 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 E:\PRESDOCS\P13MRT4.029 pfrm04 PsN: P13MRT4 506 Mar. 24 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 as well for ordering a freeze on suspected they will acquire new skills and training. And terrorist assets and for strengthening your they can bring them back home and share border security. them with others. And thank you all so very And when the devastating earthquakes hit much about participating in the program. El Salvador last year, the United States im- I’m also optimistic about this country’s fu- mediately dispatched rescueworkers and re- ture. There’s no doubt in my mind that be- lief assistance. We proudly contributed mil- cause of this man’s leadership, there are lions of dollars to El Salvador’s reconstruc- bright days ahead for El Salvador. And it’s tion effort. And we will spend even more in an honor to be invited here, and it’s an honor the year 2002. to call him friend. And I want to confirm Our countries are united by ties of com- the fact that this nation remains a strong ally merce and culture and kinship. The large with the great people of El Salvador. number of Salvadorans who live in the Sen˜or Presidente, gracias. United States make valuable contributions to Questions. our economy and send approximately $2 bil- lion back home to family members in El Sal- El Salvador-U.S. Trade/Immigration vador each year, cada an˜o. Trade between Q. Good afternoon, President Bush. Good our countries now approaches $4 billion an- afternoon, President Flores. As you said, I’m nually. That is up 140 percent. And trade William Melendez from Channel 12, and I means jobs. Trade means people who want have the honor of trying to summarize the to work are more likely to find jobs in both questions of all my other colleagues and the countries. mass media of El Salvador. El Salvador is one of the really bright lights Presidents, the benefits, the needed bene- in Latin America. Many countries in this re- fits of a free trade agreement can delay them- gion have changed old ways and have found selves, if we are not mistaken, to arrive to new wealth and new freedom. In this coming our countries, maybe 5, 6 years, because the decade, El Salvador and the United States mechanism is a bilateral mechanism, bilateral and nations throughout this hemisphere are negotiation. And so the migration could con- committed to maintaining and extending this tinue working hard during that phase. progress. I would like to know, what will the treat- Greater trade can help us accomplish this ment be of the United States of America for goal. In January, I announced we would pur- those fellow men of ours, so that they can sue a free trade agreement with Central regulate their migration status immediately? American nations. And the President and I, And besides, since poverty is the weakness, after this press conference, will be having what conditions could be applied so that the lunch with other leaders in Central America countries, the poorer countries of our region, to discuss this very proposition. And we’re especially El Salvador, can optimize their re- also going to continue to pursue the Free sources and avoid that the states could be- Trade of the Americas, which aims to encom- come main allies of the economic oligop- pass the entire hemisphere in a free trade olies? agreement. Completing these agreements President Bush. A couple points. One, will promote prosperity throughout the you’re right, trade agreements sometimes hemisphere and reinforce the region’s take too long. And we intend to push as hard progress toward political and economic and as we possibly can to get the trade agreement social reform. done. I was very serious when I announced I just met with two El Salvadorans, who the trade agreement, and we’re going to work are seated right here, who personify the hard to expedite the agreement. cause of reform. One’s an architect, and one’s Secondly, the President made an inter- an economist. They are El Salvador’s first two esting suggestion, which I will take very seri- participants in the Americas Fellows Pro- ously. He said, ‘‘Make sure that a country gram. Soon, they will be coming to Wash- is allowed to accelerate its moving into a free ington to spend time working in the United trade agreement.’’ In other words, if the States Government offices, where I believe country meets conditions and—conditions of VerDate 11-MAY-2000 10:54 Apr 02, 2002 Jkt 197250 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 E:\PRESDOCS\P13MRT4.029 pfrm04 PsN: P13MRT4 Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 / Mar. 24 507 rule of law and private property, conditions And so that’s what I’ve come to talk about that I’m confident El Salvador will meet today.