Speech

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)

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PRIME MINISTER'S STATEMENT AT CLOSING PRESS CONFERENCE OF SPP MEETING

August 21, 2007
Ottawa, Ontario

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Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

First I'd like to thank the staff here and the people of Montebello for their warm Quebecois hospitality.

You have every reason to be proud of your magnificent resort and beautiful region.

As host of this year's North American Leaders' Summit, it is my responsibility and my pleasure to report that the discussions between Presidents Bush, Calderón and myself were as cordial as they were constructive.

Our three countries share peaceful and productive relations.

These relations are rooted in our common commitment to democracy, free and open markets through NAFTA, and equal opportunity for all our citizens.

This week's Summit has provided an opportunity to share individual perspectives and take stock of challenges we face together.

We agreed to work together on consumer protection.

We have to identify and stop unsafe goods from entering our countries, especially those designed for our children;

We also agreed on the need for practical solutions to our mutual environmental challenges.

Our countries are already working together to develop clean and sustainable energy and we are cooperating on national fuel efficiency standards.

Finally, and this is especially important to Canada, we agreed that border security measures, critical as they are, cannot threaten the bonds of friendship between us.

Over the past year, we have achieved agreements on regulatory cooperation, pandemics, intellectual property and research on energy.

As part of our Summit, we also met with the North American Competitiveness Council.

The Council's business leaders have provided good, practical advice on how we can build our security and prosperity partnership to strengthen our economies and create good jobs here in North America.

But our discussions were not focussed exclusively on North America.

We also discussed a range of international and hemispheric issues, from climate change to the upcoming APEC meetings, from the Middle East to Haiti, where all three of our countries are working to advance freedom, democracy and development.

Moreover, the Summit provided opportunities for one-on-one discussions about our unique bilateral relationships.

President Bush and I met yesterday afternoon.

We discussed several matters, including our joint commitment to a secure border that remains open to the exchange of goods and services and the interaction of our people.

President Calderón and I met last night.

First, let me take the opportunity to thank the president, his wife Margarita, and children Maria, Felipe and Juan-Pablo for spending some time with our family this past weekend.

I understand you are cutting your visit short given the impact of Hurricane Dean on your country.

I regret the cost of this terrible natural disaster.

But, I am grateful we were able to rearrange our schedules yesterday in order to meet and discuss matters before your departure.

We had the opportunity to discuss many issues important to the growing relationship between Mexico and Canada that we will lead forward together.

Canada, the United States and Mexico are good neighbours and also good friends.

As sovereign countries in the modern world we are both independent and interdependent.

And we are committed to working together on mutual security, continued economic growth, and expanding our unique North American relationship.

Thank you.

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The Prime Minister's Office - Communications
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