Remarks by Ambassador Carlos Pascual during the Border Governors conference opening ceremony (as prepared)

Secretary Gomez Mont,
Secretary Espinosa,
Governor Natividad,
Honorable Governors,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning,
 
This is my first official visit to Monterrey and I want to thank Governor Natividad for his wonderful hospitality and the hard work of his staff in organizing this conference.  My first weeks as Ambassador have been somewhat of a whirlwind.  In fact, my arrival in this great country did not take place in the capital, Mexico City.  Instead, I arrived in Guadalajara aboard Air Force One with the President, and now I'm here in Monterrey after only spending a few days in Mexico City.  So, I've spent more time in the States than in the capital city.  What I have come to learn from this experience is that, just as is the case in my country, much of the strength and talent of this nation resides in the 31 states.

I am very delighted in having this opportunity to address such an important audience whose deliberations over the next two days will play a helpful role in advancing the goals to which the "Tres Amigos" committed their countries to achieving at the recent North American Leaders Summit in Guadalajara.  In their joint statement, the leaders affirmed their desire "to promote the global competitiveness of our region, foster the well-being of our citizens, and make our countries more secure."

You as elected leaders of the ten border-states know all too well that we have an awesome task before us, but I am confident that we are up to the challenges if we combine our efforts and resources.  To that end, President Obama has stated that "the United States will remain a full partner " as we move forward on our shared aspirations.

In many of the discussions I've had, I have been inspired by the candor and spirit of cooperation that characterize the partnership that is the Border Governors Conference.  The problems that we face are interconnected, but we can overcome them together through the cooperation that is rooted in shared values and complimentary strengths that are the trademarks of the U.S.-Mexico bilateral relationship.

Our integrated economies are an engine for growth.  Our two presidents, in Guadalajara, reaffirmed their commitment to reinvigorate our trading relationship and to ensure that the benefits of our economic relationship are widely shared and sustainable.  You who live on the border of our two countries know many ways to improve our competitiveness and I am here to listen to your recommendations.

Last spring, cooperation between Mexico, Canada and the United States protected the lives of millions of people around the globe.  This cooperation made it possible to quickly identify a novel virus, H1N1, and enabled other regions to react quickly to protect their populations.  In this same spirit, border states have worked together effectively to help stop the spread of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and other communicable diseases.  We're grateful to Tijuana firemen who responded to fires last year in California.  State public safety offices on both sides of the border conduct joint training exercises and share expertise to prepare for emergencies of all types. 

The security of both of our nations is now threatened by international organized crime.  To protect our citizens we must continue our cooperation, built upon the principles of shared responsibility, the strengthening of national institutions, and respect for national sovereignty.  Arizona and Sonora were the first states to sign an agreement of cooperation to fight criminals.  New Mexico's state forensics experts trained Chihuahua officials who created forensics labs as part of their justice reforms.  Chihuahua went on to develop an entirely new technique to help identify victims of violence, and is now sharing this science with the FBI.  Together, we're making real progress, my friends, but our work is not yet done.

Just as criminal organizations ignore our borders, we too must erase the barriers that divide us.  Many of your attorneys general recently met in Idaho to discuss ways to enhance cooperation.  Colorado Attorney General John Suthers is here with us today, and I understand that he will sign a letter of intent to increase state cooperation with the Border Governors Conference.   We recognize the commitment and the sacrifices of the Mexican people and government as they confront the cartels, and we pledge to them our continued support.  Our success will come when we give American and Mexican citizens confidence that democracy, accountability, and the rule of law can mean a better and more secure life.

Our strength is in our people -- our creativity, honesty, decency, commitment to hard work, and a moral belief that we are in this together -- for the sake of our families and the generations that come behind us.  Our hope is in leaders like you, and that is the source of my confidence that we will overcome the challenges that face us today.

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