DATE=03/29/2002

TYPE=EDITORIAL

NUMBER=0-09790

TITLE=EDITORIAL: THE U.S. AND MEXICO

INTERNET=Yes

CONTENT=THIS EDITORIAL IS BEING RELEASED FOR USE BY ALL SERVICES.

Anncr: Next, an editorial expressing the policies of the United States Government:

Voice: Some of the strongest allies of the United States are located in the Western Hemisphere. President George W. Bush recently visited three of them -- Mexico, Peru, and El Salvador. The U.S. is committed to working with its neighbors to build a hemisphere that "lives in liberty and trades in freedom."

The North American Free Trade Agreement is a model for the world. The agreement was signed by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, and has been in effect for eight years. The agreement has removed most barriers to trade and investment among the three countries and created thousands of new jobs.

Since the agreement went into effect, two-way trade between the U.S. and Mexico has tripled, reaching more than two-hundred twenty-one billion dollars in 2001. That makes the border between the U.S. and Mexico one of the busiest in the world.

As President Bush said in Monterrey, Mexico, on March 22nd, "President [Vicente] Fox and I are determined to make our shared border modern, efficient, and secure. Our common border," continued Mr. Bush, "must be closed to drugs and terrorists, and open to trade and legitimate travel."

The U.S. and Mexico will work to improve the secure flow of goods and people, and to build a modern and efficient infrastructure that keeps pace with commerce.

The U.S. border with Mexico is a region of tremendous economic vitality. And it will continue to be. Both the U.S. and Mexico benefit from close ties of culture and kinship. The strengthening of border security will filter out threats to safety and prosperity. As President Bush said, we "will defend ourselves against new threats, at the same time that we build closer relationships with our neighbors."

Anncr: That was an editorial expressing the policies of the United States Government. If you have a comment, please write to Editorials, V-O-A, Washington, D-C, 20237, U-S-A. You may also comment at www-dot-ibb-dot-gov-slash-editorials, or fax us at (202) 619-1043.