SECRETARY POWELL: Well, good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It's a great pleasure to welcome you to the Ben Franklin Room in the Diplomatic Rooms of the Department of State, and it's a special pleasure to welcome President and Mrs. Fox, members of the Mexican delegation, and the Americans who are present, as well as all of the other Mexicans, not of the delegation, but who traveled here to be a part of this very, very historic and important visit.
This has also been a time for meeting of the Binational Commission, so we put the state visit together with the meeting of the cabinets of our two governments, and we have had a most productive session so far.
I'm especially pleased to have, of course, my colleague, Secretary Castaneda. He and I have become very good friends over the last seven months, with all the work that we have been doing. I remarked to him yesterday that he has been here so often, I have hosted him in every one of these diplomatic rooms on the eighth floor, and the next time he comes to visit, we are going to the cafeteria. (Laughter.) This is costing me too much money.
The real joy of this lunch is that we have friends here. As President Bush said earlier this morning, and I'm sure he will be saying again later in the day and throughout this visit, we have dear friends here, friends from Mexico, friends who mean so much to us, friends who represent the wonderful Mexican people who have enriched the United States, who have become a part of our very fabric. And President Bush wanted Mexico and the Mexican President to be the first state visit that he would have during his Administration, as a symbol of the closeness that exists between our two nations and our two people, but more as a symbol of what we are going to do together as we march into this new 21st century on so many different issues, whether it's migration, whether it's trade, whether it's environmental issues, whether it's trade and investment and other economic activities. We are going to march together as partners and friends, doing everything we can to benefit the peoples of our two great countries.
So President and Mrs. Fox, it is my pleasure, and I know my wife shares the pleasure of welcoming you here to the State Department, and hoping that you have a most productive visit. And to close these opening remarks simply by wishing you all health and happiness, to you and Mrs. Fox as you start your new life together, and also toasting the friendship that exists between our two people.
To your good health, sir, and to friendship between our peoples. (Applause.)
PRESIDENT FOX: I shall be brief, but I must make a toast in honor of all the very good things that are happening.
It seems as if it was just yesterday, but it was exactly nine months ago that we met at San Cristobal Ranch, in the state of Guanajuato in Mexico, President Bush, myself, and our two working teams. These were two new administrations in our respective countries that were just beginning. And we had to make some major efforts. We were making the effort to begin our administrations, to begin our work, to make our governments dynamic and active, and to face the changes that we had to make for the 21st century and for the future.
And we had to give ourselves time, time for something very important, something very strategic, which is the relationship that unites our countries, Mexico and the United States, in the strategic vision that we have established to strengthen the territory of North America in this partnership for prosperity and peace, this driving force, as have described it, which promotes our efforts.
The environment, the ambiente, as I have referred to it earlier, and the level of trust that we enjoy is at the very highest level today, not just country-to-country, not just president-to-president, but professional working team to professional working team.
The results are evident, and the results will continue to grow, because we are sowing the seeds that will lead to these results on a daily basis. The relationship we have established is one that we strengthen every day. It is a professional relationship and it is a productive relationship.
I come here to present our recognition on a personal basis, as President of Mexico, and also on behalf of the Mexican people. That recognition is for the leadership of Mr. Colin Powell. Without his energy, without his vision, without his dedication, without his passion, the events that we see today would not be happening in this very special relationship we have established. If the subject is migration, who better to discuss this subject with, who better to hear out what we have to say on the subject, and who better to commit himself than the son of immigrants.
Therefore, I wish to raise my glass in honor of this alliance, this commitment to the prosperity of our peoples and of our countries. It is an example that we must follow for the success that we wish both our countries, and so that this driving force, this humanistic, passionate and committed driving force will also move other countries into the 21st century.
Therefore I toast you, I toast the United States, I toast Mexico. And may God bless our two nations. (Applause.)