October 1, 2007
Mexican President Attends
Border Governors Conference
Presidency of the Republic
Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico
[Excerpts from the September 27 speech by Felipe Calderón, President of the United Mexican States,
at the U.S.-Mexico Border Governors Conference]
Together, the ten states
[Mexico = six; USA = four] represented here constitute the most dynamic and important binational region in the world.
That is why my government
acknowledges the importance of the recommendations and proposals submitted by this Conference.
Two examples of this
include the actions undertaken to streamline the flow of visitors over international bridges and at border crossing points;
and the advances in the sphere of the environment and air quality improvement, thanks to new rules for the compulsory use
of low sulfur diesel in Mexico.
The US economy is capital
intensive, while the Mexican economy is labor intensive; over the next six years, the American economy will have nearly 70
million retirees, while Mexico is a young country where the majority of the population is under 30.
Not only because of
their contribution to the US economy, but also out of an elementary consideration for human dignity, Mexican workers, like
anyone else, deserve decent treatment.
We are convinced that
for the benefit of both regions, both nations and the region on both sides of the border, that it is essential to take up
the legislative debate to create a migratory legislation that will provide guarantees for Mexican workers and US employers,
and meet the demand for prosperity shared by both Americans and Mexicans.
If we want Mexican
and American families to live safely and progress on the basis of their work, the United States and Mexico must intensify
actions to reduce drug consumption and trafficking and combat organized crime which operates on both sides of the border.
I am delighted that
the Governor of Arizona and the Governor of California are at the cutting edge of this issue in the United States, in that
the governments of these two sister states are taking actions to reduce climate change and enhance environmental protection.
They are also forcing the world's largest economy to assume a greater commitment to this issue.
At the same time, I
would like to stress the fact that although Mexico is a developing country, that does not exempt it or any other developing
nations with carbon emissions from doing what it should in the fight against climate change.
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(Press Release: Presidency of the Republic, September 27, 2007,
Mexico City)
• Presidency of the Republic translation
