Transcript: Albright, Mexican Foreign Secretary on Joint Cooperation

(Remarks at opening of U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission)  (3810)

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says that though the fight
against drug traffickers will not be won overnight, she is
"encouraged" by the "good cooperation" between the United States and
Mexico in that effort.

Speaking May 18 at the opening plenary session of the 17th annual
U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission meeting at the State Department,
Albright praised the cooperation between the two governments on demand
reduction and on drug crop control and interdiction, and congratulated
Mexico for its recent arrest of leading figures from the Arellano
Felix drug cartel.

Albright said that among the host of issues to be discussed at the
meeting were border and migration questions, and how to stop
alien-smuggling rings.

Also speaking at the opening session was Mexico's Secretary of Foreign
Relations Rosario Green.

Following is the transcript of the remarks by Albright and Green:

(begin transcript)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman

May 18, 2000

As Delivered

REMARKS BY SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT
AND SECRETARY OF FOREIGN RELATIONS OF MEXICO ROSARIO GREEN MACIAS
AT THE 17TH U.S.-MEXICO BINATIONAL COMMISSION
OPENING PLENARY SESSION

U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C.

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Good morning, Madame Secretary, ladies and
gentlemen, distinguished guests and colleagues. It's a great pleasure
to welcome you all here to the Department of State this morning for
the 17th Annual Meeting of the U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission.

Let me start by introducing the U.S. Chairs of the BNC's Working
Groups and then ask Secretary Green to introduce her Mexican
colleagues.

First, Attorney General Janet Reno; Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman;
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Andrew Cuomo; Secretary of
Energy Bill Richardson; Special Envoy of the President for the
Americas "Buddy" McKay; Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow; Deputy Secretary
of Agriculture Schumacher; Deputy Secretary of Health and Human
Services Kevin Thurm; Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Richard
Fischer; Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public
Affairs Evelyn Lieberman; INS Commissioner Doris Meissner; Assistant
Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mary Ryan; Deputy Director of
ONDCP Robert Brown: Assistant Secretary of Commerce Patrick Mulloy;
Assistant Secretary of Education for Post-Secondary Education A. Lee
Fritschler; Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere
Affairs Pete Romero; Deputy Under Secretary of Labor for International
Labor Affairs Andrew Samet; Assistant Commissioner of Customs for
International Affairs Douglas Browning; Principal Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental Affairs
Kenneth Brill; Principle Deputy Assistant Administrator for
International Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, Alan Hecht;
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Treasury for Latin America and East Asia
Andrew Berg.

So, Secretary Green, if you would introduce your folks.

SECRETARY GREEN (through interpreter): I thank you very much,
Secretary Albright. Good morning to all of you. Yes, I would like to
introduce, as is customary, the members of our delegation.

First, Ambassador Jesus Reyes Heroles, who is our Ambassador to the
White House; Dr. Carlos Jarque, Secretary of Social Development; Dr.
Luis Tellez, Secretary of Energy; Dr. Romarico Arroyo, Secretary of
Agriculture and Social Development; Mr. Mariano Palacios Alcocer,
Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare; Ms. Julia Carabias, Secretary
for the Environment and Natural Resources and Fisheries; Under
Secretary Luis De La Calle of the Commerce Department; Rafael Tovar y
de Teresa, Chairman of the National Council for Culture and Arts; Dr.
Carlos Barzdresch, president of CONACYT; Mr. Juan Rebolledo, Under
Secretary for North America and Europe of the Foreign Ministry; Under
Secretary Angel Pescador, Under Secretary for Population and Migration
Affairs of the Ministry of Government; Dr. Resendiz, Daniel Resendiz,
Under Secretary of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Dr.
Roberto Tapia, Under Secretary for Health Control of the Secretariat
of Health; the Deputy Attorney General, Eduardo Ibarrola; Mr.
Alejandro Carillo of the Mexican Migration Institute; and other
members of the delegation who are all here to support their various
agencies.

Thank you very much.

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Thank you very much, Madame Secretary. I think, as
some of you know, Secretary Green and I were friends before we started
these particular jobs, and now we are even closer friends, and it's
because we have so much in common. In fact, I think we had a unique
experience, Rosario, when I came to visit you in Oaxaca and we had a
press conference. And for the first time in my life when somebody
said, "Madame Secretary," we didn't know which one should answer.

The thing, I think -- among the things we have in common is that we
belong to a very exclusive group of women foreign ministers, and I am
proud to say that 6 of the 14 are from this hemisphere. So I think
we've done very well.

Also, Secretary Green and I are also both political scientists and
students of how governments should work together. On several occasions
we have discussed the fact that -- of the breadth and depth and
complexity of the relationship between our two countries, I think is
unmatched anywhere in the world. And seeing all of these people here
in this room, and I think as both of us have introduced our groups, to
know the variety of issues that we deal with is really, I think, as I
said, unmatched.

And in this era of globalization, the boundaries between foreign and
domestic policy are very much blurred, as issues such as crime and
pollution become matters for international concern. This is especially
true in a relationship between our two countries and is reflected in
the very ambitious agenda that the BNC has.

The fourteen Working Groups and two Sub-Groups that will meet today
are addressing issues that include science, education, trade, cultural
preservation, labor rights, the environment, and law enforcement. And
may I say on cultural preservation, Oaxaca was one of the highlights
of my foreign travels. I loved every minute of it.

And our "Agenda 2000" includes more than 100 specific bilateral
initiatives that we intend to complete by year's end. These
initiatives will improve the quality of life for ordinary citizens on
both sides of the border.

The unique character of our bilateral relationship is reflected, I
think, in what we're going to see today, and it's also evident from
the increasingly routine and frequent contacts between the Mexican and
U.S. officials at all levels, from the presidential summits down to
local customs cooperation.

Public servants without fancy titles don't always get the recognition
they deserve. So at the start of today's proceedings, I would like to
recognize the courage and sacrifice of law enforcement officers from
both our countries who have paid the ultimate price in the struggle
against narco-trafficking.

The fight against drug traffickers will not be won overnight, but I
have been encouraged by the good cooperation between our two
governments on demand reduction, drug crop control and interdiction.
And I want to congratulate the government of Mexico for the recent
arrest of leading figures from the Arellano Felix cartel.

Law enforcement is just one area where mutual understanding is
replacing mistrust; where we are talking instead of pointing fingers;
and where authentic cooperation is now the normal state of affairs.

Today, the Working Groups on Border Cooperation, and on Migration and
Consular Affairs, will discuss a number of issues related to our
2,000-mile border, which is crossed by nearly a million people every
day.

As an immigrant myself, I understand the aspirations of those who seek
opportunities beyond their homeland. And speaking of behalf of
President Clinton, I want to reiterate that the United States remains
committed to legal migration and to the humane and orderly management
of our borders. We are committed to enforcing our laws in this regard.

There are those who challenge these laws -- including alien-smuggling
rings that ply their trade in human beings along our border. They seek
profit by preying on the poverty and hopes of people seeking a better
life. The victims of these smugglers are brutally exploited, and
sometimes die in transit.

I hope that together we can identify additional steps we can take to
address this issue that exacts such a high human price.

In recent years, we have already achieved great progress in our
bilateral relationship. And much of the impetus has come as a result
of the NAFTA, and from our peoples' growing appreciation of our shared
interests and our shared belief in democracy. But it is also due to
the vision and wisdom of individuals, many of whom are in this room
now, in both delegations.

So let's roll up our sleeves and get to it. And Secretary Green and I
are looking forward to hearing the reports of your working groups at
the end of the day.

Thank you.

SECRETARY GREEN (through interpreter): Your Excellency, Madame
Albright, Secretary of State of the United States, distinguished
members of the delegations of Mexico and the United States, ladies and
gentlemen. The governments of Mexico and the United States are meeting
once again within the framework of the 17th Meeting of the Binational
Commission, the most wide-ranging mechanism for consultation and
bilateral cooperation our nations possess.

This meeting is being held at a unique time. It is the first of the
new millennium and the last which is taking place during the
administrations of Presidents Ernesto Zedillo and William Clinton.
Therefore, our meeting here in Washington is particularly timely to
undertake an evaluation of the relations between our two nations. It
will also enable us to agree on the priorities for cooperation for the
remainder of the year 2000. The result of our consultations will also
serve to inform our presidents of the status of our bilateral
cooperation in all spheres when they meet in this city during the
month of June.

You will all agree with me in that this meeting must strengthen the
commitment made by our presidents so that relations between Mexico and
the United States are conducted based on an open, direct,
forward-looking and respectful dialogue. Thus, during this Binational
Commission Meeting, we will have to seek constructive responses to our
common challenges and we will promote an increasingly productive
cooperation in the very broad range of issues of our bilateral agenda.

In the past five years, permanent consultation and dialogue,
respectful negotiation and constant cooperation have become the
paradigms we use to manage our rich and varied relationship. These
instruments have enabled us to consolidate existing mechanisms and to
establish new ones in order to take full advantage of the
opportunities and meet the challenges inherent in a bilateral
relationship which is characterized by its political intensity, its
economic dynamism, and an increasingly intense social and cultural
interaction.

The instruments I have referred to have also enabled us to build a
more modern, more dynamic and more efficient relationship. Thus, we
have learned to compartmentalize the management of the issues of our
varied agenda in order to prevent problems in one area from
contaminating others, or the agenda as a whole.

We've also taken important steps to avoid surprises that could harm
our relations by eroding the trust that must be the cornerstone of our
communication and our agreements. Similarly, we have deepened the
maturity of the links that exist between both countries by recognizing
that in any solid relationship there will always be disagreements and
that these deserve early notification and respect.

In this way, by overcoming inertia and distrust, our persistent
efforts and our constant [communication] have led us to build
exemplary relations. It is a relationship that today allows us to take
greater advantage of our condition as neighbors, to face the many
challenges of this relationship with greater institutional strength
and to look towards the future with the confidence that it will be a
promising one for both our peoples.

What we have achieved thus far also allows us to aim at the
consolidation of a bilateral relationship to ensure the development of
our nations and to guarantee that all members of both societies will
benefit.

Ours must be a relationship that recognizes the fundamental importance
each country has for the well-being of the other; a relationship that
overcomes the asymmetries and promotes consensus; a relationship which
recognizes the diversity inherent in our societies and which can
resist the blows of isolated actions which seek to divide us and make
us confrontational; a relationship which limits disagreements and
furthers cooperation and complementarity; in short, a relationship
which measures its success by the benefits that its initiatives
produce for present and future generations of Mexican and U.S.
citizens.

Unfortunately, this relationship we seek to build is not devoid of
contradictions to which, as on other occasions, I would like to refer.
I am convinced that in recognizing them and sharing them in this form,
we mark the beginning, if not of a definitive solution, at least of
our efforts to solve them. In this regard, allow me to refer to the
issues of migration, border management and drug trafficking, because
these are the issues that demand the most attention, both because of
their complexity and the importance placed on them by public opinion
in our countries.

All three, on a daily basis, test our capacity for response; our
capacity to generate a framework of respect for dignity and for life;
our capacity to maintain constructive and productive cooperation for
the benefit of our societies.

In regard to migration, it would be unfair to allow ourselves to be
encumbered solely by incidental aspects and not recognize that we have
been able to make very significant advances in the construction of an
understanding in the phenomenon of migration. In contrast to the
situation which prevailed just a few years ago, today, in addition to
being more familiar with the economic, labor and socio-demographic
characteristics of cross-border migration, we have a better
understanding of its costs and benefits for both countries.

Today, when we discuss the subject, we do so based upon commonly
recognized principles, especially the commitment to the unrestricted
respect for the human and labor rights of migrants. This, however, has
not prevented the emergence of situations which could go against what
we have achieved and undermine the constructive environment that
exists in our bilateral relationship as a whole.

In this regard, I would like to refer to two specific situations.
First of all, while both Mexicans and Americans have accepted the fact
that every country has the right to adopt the laws that best suit its
interests, we also recognize that some of these laws have an impact
that reaches far beyond our respective borders. For this reason, we
have agreed on the need to enable mechanisms that allow us to evaluate
the consequences to which their implementation can give rise. It is a
fact that the border operations implemented as a result of U.S.
immigration legislation have resulted in the shift of migratory flows
through increasingly harsher areas, and this has led to the loss of
life.

While it is true that the bilateral cooperation we have managed to
establish has enabled us to save many more lives, we should intensify
our efforts in this Binational Commission in order to find a
comprehensive solution to this challenge.

Second, I must mention a recent phenomenon that, while it is isolated
in nature, is nonetheless a cause for concern. I refer to the
expressions of intolerance of some American ranchers that promote the
persecution of migrants along the border. The government of Mexico
will use all the political and legal resources at its disposal to
guarantee that any violation of the rights and dignity of Mexicans is
investigated and, if applicable, penalized.

Today, more than ever, reason, dialogue, and the joint search for
solutions must prevail in addressing the topic of Mexican migration
and all its aspects; a migration that, on the one hand, will diminish,
yes, as Mexico grows and develops; a migration which, on the other, is
in demand and has contributed, through its efficient and skilled
workforce, to progress in the United States; a migration that
basically involves good, honest, hard-working Mexicans who only go --
or come, rather -- to this country seeking better opportunities.

Mexico, for its part, will severely pursue those who traffic in
migrants and will strengthen the capability for response of its
authorities along the border to ensure the safety of its migrants. But
above all, both our governments must commit themselves to continue
furthering policies that will contribute to the enhanced protection of
migrants, to the recognition of the existence of cross-border labor
markets, and to the ordering of migratory flows; in short, to
deep-rooted solutions to an issue that will never entirely disappear,
as has been clearly demonstrated in the past.

In the 21st century, our dialogue in the area of migration should be
based on the design of viable cooperation alternatives between
neighbors, partners and friends. We must have sufficient historical
vision to embark on a new stage in our dialogue on migration. This,
without a doubt, will be one of the major challenges both our
societies will have to meet in the immediate future.

The second issue I'd like to refer to is that of our common border,
the world's most dynamic border, and one whose organization and
management have become increasingly important as well as a priority.
With the declaration on the new border vision adopted in 1997 by
Presidents Zedillo and Clinton, we undertook the commitment to make
this region a point of encounter, a meeting place, a sphere of
opportunities, and an area in which our best efforts, both domestic
and well as bilateral, converge in favor of the millions of people who
live on both sides of the dividing line.

Thus, we have made every effort to endow our common border with a
better environmental infrastructure, with more and better
international bridges and crossings, and with adequate security
programs. We've also created new border liaison mechanisms and
expanded their activities to the areas of protection, infrastructure,
economic development and public safety. This is the good news.

We cannot, however, avoid the fact that problems of security,
environment degradation and inadequate exploitation and use of natural
resources persist. Nor we can deny that much still remains to be done
to endow both sides of the border with the necessary resources,
material as well as human and administrative, to enable us to
guarantee its well-being, security and development.

Finally, the third issue I would like to address is that of bilateral
cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking. In the last five
years, both governments managed, for the first time, to adopt common
comprehensive perspectives. The High Level Contact Group has allowed
us to become accustomed to adopting co-responsible approaches in the
fight against drugs. Today, all aspects of this phenomenon receive
appropriate attention, and we have begun to leave behind mutual
recrimination. Within the framework of the HLCG and its group of
experts, we continue to develop the bilateral anti-drug cooperation
programs that our nations require and demand.

Throughout these five years, we have also built the necessary
institutional scaffolding to advance in our mutual commitment to
vigorously and firmly combat drug trafficking and related crimes such
as money laundering, arms trafficking and the diversion of chemical
precursors.

Now, more than ever, Mexico and the United States must reaffirm their
will to reject unilateral actions and strengthen the agreements and
understandings reached. Our objective should be to simultaneously cut
the communicating vessels which nourish transnational drug trafficking
and which threaten the security and well-being of our institutions and
of our youth.

However, as in this case as in the other two issues I mentioned, we
also have disagreements. Certification has been one of them, and this
is why we must continue to work to strengthen the multilateral
mechanisms based on the principle that all states are equal. Mexico
and the United States share the will to launch a frontal attack on
both drug trafficking and on drug traffickers. We must therefore join
forces to combat them effectively, working shoulder to shoulder, and
extolling the virtues of a cooperation agreed upon and regulated by
our respective legal frameworks. To judge or prejudge each other is
not the appropriate way to operate, nor does it convey the appropriate
signal to those who, through their criminal activities, threaten us as
societies and as governments. Therefore, the urgency to do away with
unilateral agendas and substitute them with a comprehensive agreement
for open, firm and decided cooperation [is evident].

Secretary Albright, ladies and gentlemen, and members of both
delegations, the governments of Mexico and the United States have
before us the historic responsibility of being agents to promote
change, well-being and the growth of our two peoples. But we also face
the challenge of ensuring that our bilateral relationship is
increasingly governed by cooperation, reason, dialogue and
understanding. Hence, we cannot, nor should we, fail in our
determination to cut off at the root those practices and perceptions
which only undermine the many advances already reached.

There are certainly no magic solutions to achieve this goal, but we do
have one essential ingredient: the will of both governments, measured
by the road traveled, by the importance of the legacy that the Zedillo
and Clinton administrations are leaving to those who will succeed
them, and by the contents of what we have called "Agenda 2000."

All of this, in the end, sets up the platform from which our
authorities will continue to build those agreements that will enable
us to successfully meet the new challenges of the new century. We all
know that geographical proximity is not something chosen but, in our
case, both Mexicans and Americans have decided to turn it into an
opportunity and an advantage. For this reason, I believe it is of
basic importance that we devote ourselves at the end of our respective
administrations to articulating our actions around four central
elements.

First, we must deepen and broaden the institutionalization of our
agenda, maintaining transparent rules and procedures that eliminate
surprises. Second, we must use the favored channels for interaction
that both governments have been promoting over the last few years to
improve our dialogue and to reinforce mutual trust. Third, we must
consolidate our agreement on topics in which there is a basis for
consensus while, at the same time, we develop new initiatives and
programs where there has been no agreement reached. And, finally, we
must commit ourselves to the daily effort of building our relationship
on the foundations of tolerance, respect and the appreciation which
exists between us.

These, Madame Secretary, do not seem to be unattainable goals when, as
in our case, we are dealing with neighbors, partners, and very close
friends. Thank you so much.

(Applause.)

(end transcript)

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Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)