SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, it is a particular delight for me to welcome Foreign Minister Cannon and Foreign Secretary Espinosa here to the State Department. Canada and Mexico are our closest friends and allies, and I’ve been pleased to have visited both countries in the six months of my tenure as Secretary of State. We are so fortunate to have neighbors with whom we share so many values and common interests and very human and family ties.
Today, we will be discussing how we intend to work even more effectively together, to speed economic recovery, to make North America more competitive, and our citizens safer. And I look forward to discussing with my colleagues and with their distinguished delegations who have traveled here the wide range of issues that we are all concerned about.
Let me ask if either of my colleagues would like to say a word. Patricia.
FOREIGN MINISTER ESPINOSA: Thank you, Secretary, just to say how honored Mexico feels to be able to host this leaders’ summit in the city of Guadalajara on the 9th and 10th of August. We are looking forward to this meeting. We feel this is really one of – one that gives us great opportunity to put our agenda in place in order to face the enormous challenges that our societies in the three countries are currently facing.
FOREIGN MINISTER CANNON: Well, thank you very much, Madame Secretary, for this kind invitation to be here today with Secretary Espinosa, to lay the table literally, put – make – set up the agenda for our North American Leaders’ Summit. Our leaders will be meeting shortly. I think it’s a wonderful opportunity not only to be able to once again, all three of us, work together for the good of our countries, but also for North America. (Speaking in French.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. Well, we’re going to now go immediately into our working groups, and I appreciate so much the concerns that bring us together. And in preparation for the leaders’ summit, we want to have a very specific agenda filled with the concrete actions that we intend to take together. So, thank you.
