Remarks by President Obama and Honduran President Lobo, October 5, 2011Footnote 1
President Barack Obama and President Porfirio Lobo Sosa gave these remarks at the White House
President Obama. Well, it's a pleasure to welcome President Lobo to the White House, and this gives us an opportunity to reaffirm the friendship between the American and the Honduran people. Not only has Honduras been a traditionally close partner with the United States, but the people-to-people relationship is profound, particularly given the Honduran-American population that has contributed so much to the growth of our country.
Today also begins a new chapter in the relationship between our two countries. Two years ago, we saw a coup in Honduras that threatened to move the country away from democracy, and in part because of pressure from the international community, but also because of the strong commitment to democracy and leadership by President Lobo, what we've been seeing is a restoration of democratic practices and a commitment to reconciliation that gives us great hope.
And President Lobo's leadership is responsible not only for helping to restore constitutional order and democracy and a commitment to fair and free elections, but it's also allowed Honduras once again to rejoin the Organization of American States, and for Hondurans—the Honduran relationship with its neighbors to be restored to a normal place.
Of course, much work remains to be done. And I'm looking forward to a excellent conversation with President Lobo about how we can be helpful in ensuring that human rights are observed in Honduras. We will discuss ways in which our two countries can work effectively together to deal with the security situation that exists not only in Honduras but through Central America, and how we can cooperate effectively in preventing the countries of Central America from being corrupted and overrun by the transnational drug trade. And we also will have discussions about how we can continue to strengthen development in Honduras and the region so that people have opportunity, we will see economic growth, see economic development, and expand trade and further interactions between our two countries.
So Mr. President, I welcome you. I'm looking forward to a good conversation that will help to strengthen the relationship between our two countries. And, again, we are very appreciative of the leadership you've shown during what's been a very difficult time.
President Lobo. Thank you so much, Mr. President. It is indeed a very high honor for me to be here in the White House today. I want to state very emphatically that this is a great opportunity to celebrate the friendship between our peoples. It's also an occasion in which we are reaffirming the permanent gratitude that we have for your friendship, for the permanent assistance we have received from the United States, and very especially because at a time of great crisis you were there to help, and you were there to help us restore the family that is our nation.
I began my administration bringing together all the forces that make up Honduran society. And what I have tried to establish is unity and reconciliation in my country.
We are on the road, as you said, Mr. President, to a number of things. We have returned to the Organization of American States, and in fact, I was able to visit that organization yesterday. It was a very warm visit. It was a wonderful occasion.
We have reaffirmed our democratic vocation. We have reaffirmed the road to democracy that we are on and that we will continue on. We will be opening even more spaces for our people to be able to express themselves. We have already created spaces within our representative democracy, but we will continue to do that so that there is ever more direct participation from our people in all levels of society. That is a road we've started on, and we will continue down that path.
The enormous challenge we face is that of crime and drug trafficking. But we have good friends, like you, who have helped us in the past, who continue to help us. And your words today, Mr. President, are a reaffirmation of that good friendship and that good support that we receive from you, and we hope we will have that in the future.
I also want to say to you again today that we will continue to respect human rights and do everything we can to build on what we have already done in that area. We know that there are some areas in which we have weaknesses we need to work on—the investigation of such crimes is one of those. But we hope to be able to get help from the United States on that so that we can overcome the hurdles we have in this respect, and we are able to find those people who are guilty of violations of human rights.
So we are on the road to reconciliation. Next year, our political parties will be holding their primaries. And in 2013 we will be holding our general election, and so we will be complying with our constitution for a man or woman to be elected president every four years.
Excerpts of remarks by Secretary of State Clinton, October 5, 2011Footnote 2
Secretary Hillary Clinton made these remarks in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Moderator. I'd like to begin by giving you the opportunity to discuss something that we've already mentioned: social inclusion. What does this mean? It has a very nice ring to it, but a lot of people will ask: What does this mean, especially to me? Honorable Secretary.
Secretary Clinton. Well, Juan Carlos, what it means, for those of us gathered here for the Pathways to Prosperity is that we want to create more economic opportunity that is pervasive throughout every society, so that more people have a chance to start businesses, to enter the formal economy, to grow businesses, to have a chance to improve their incomes and their futures for themselves and their families. And as I said earlier, it's exciting how much Latin America has grown in the last decade. That is the first and most important achievement. But the second, equally important achievement is to make sure as growth continues that it is broadly available to everyone willing to work for it.
Moderator. Secretary—I was going to ask the question in English, but she is receiving the interpretation. This meeting is—the whole idea is not only to share experiences and repeat stories, but also to take great measures. You talked about the $5 million that have already been invested, and you also talked about the $17.5 million that will be invested in the future. How do you see the desire, the appetite, in the U.S. Congress to support these initiatives when today, for example, President Obama passed a law to fund a government until the 18th of November, and you are talking about cuts, budgetary cuts? Do you see that within Congress there is an interest to support these measures in the future?
Secretary Clinton. Well, I think there is because we are bound so closely with Latin America. We are bound by ties of history and culture and family and commerce. And it matters greatly to the United States what happens here, and vice versa. So what we are doing is making the case that our investments in Pathways to Prosperity projects are going to pay off.
In this wonderful book that Alicia has helped to bring to publication, from the UN, the IDB, and the OAS, and each of the organizations up here, there are best practices. We know what can work. So we're not just going to the Congress and saying we would like to invest in a better economy for Latin America, so just give us the money. We're going and saying we know what works. We want to partner with the OAS, with the UN, with the IDB and others in order to translate that into tangible progress. So I think there's a great deal of interest and commitment from our Congress to support that kind of investment.
Moderator. Secretary, we're talking about Pathways to Prosperity. The U.S. economy is undergoing a difficult stage. The Latin American economy has fared better during this crisis. The Pathways to Prosperity in the United States is in Latin America, and would that enable the region to harness this possibility to make the most of it?
Secretary Clinton. Well, that is certainly one of our hopes because, as we just heard, Latin America is our biggest trading partner. The hemisphere trades more with each other than we do with anybody around the world, and I think that's to our benefit because of our other connections. So we want to deepen and broaden that cooperation that can come through trade, through investment, open up the doors and knock down the barriers that still exist.
But it is also true that we believe strongly in making sure that we benefit the most people. The days of just having, as the Secretary General Insulza said, just having the benefits from trade and business and investment go to a small group of people so that you just perpetuate inequality have to end, because you cannot grow stable prosperity unless you broaden the base of prosperity. So our mission and what we are trying to do through Pathways is to open as many pathways as possible. There's not just one superhighway pathway between Latin America and the United States which is only populated by the biggest companies, the multinationals, and only benefiting the very tops of our economic elites. We want many pathways to prosperity. And that's why it's plural, because we're looking for all the good ideas and the best practices. And we've seen so many changes in Latin America in the last decade, and we want to build on those changes.
Moderator. We're running out of time, I have a last question for Secretary Clinton. How difficult has it been or how easy has it been to convince your partners in this ministerial meeting? You've underscored this fourth meeting, how difficult has been to convince them of U.S. intentions? Everybody says the United States always acts in its self interest. It's true with every other country, but it's something that is thrown out a lot, and how will you continue to work in the region, through these efforts, so that you are all partners on equal footing and that the region is convinced of this?
Secretary Clinton. Well, I think we've certainly have demonstrated our commitment and our persistence in following through on this kind of a model because we know that it can work. And I will follow-up on what Alicia said. There are some countries in the region that are taking advantage of what works. They are looking at the evidence, they are talking to their neighbors, they are reaching out around the world, and they are implementing all of these best practices. And there are some countries that just are not interested, or their politics don't permit it, or their ideology doesn't permit it.
So we want to focus on working with those countries who understand that in today's competitive world, if you stand still, you fall backwards. And that's true with the United States, just like it is true in every country represented here. But what's so exciting about this time is we now have a body of evidence about what works. We're not making it up. We're not just throwing it out there. We can say, “Those cash transfer programs have worked in Mexico, Brazil, and Chile; why don't you try them?” Then it's up to the countries. It's up the leadership, the citizenship.
So what we want to do is just to make sure that the people who are committed to inclusive growth, to broad-based prosperity, are all at the table. And that we're going to support those who are really out there trying to make a difference in the lives of their people, and I think that's the best way for us to be judged.
Statements by Secretary of State Clinton, October 15, 2011Footnote 3
Secretary Hillary Clinton made these remarks in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Q. We're in Santo Domingo. You've had the Prosperity meeting on the same week that President Obama has sent trade agreements with Colombia, with Panama, and South Korea to Congress. How important are these two last treaties, Colombia and Panama? Many say, well, these are small economies; this isn't really relevant for the U.S. How—what—how important is this treaty?
Secretary Clinton. Oh, I think it's critically important, and it's one of the reasons why the President waited until all the agreements were ready to go at the same time. As you might recall, the Korean Free Trade Agreement was ready before Colombia and Panama were, but we were absolutely committed for all three of them going because each is important. There may be differences in the size of economies, but there is no difference in the significance of these relationships to the United States.
Q. You have the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena next year. How important will trade be in the agenda and in the conversation with the region?
Secretary Clinton. Well, trade will be very important as part of the larger economic emphasis, because we know that trade is significant. So is investment, so is growing the base of one's own economy. We'll also talk about citizen security, safe neighborhoods. We'll talk about including health and education and strengthening democratic governance. These all go together. You can have one without the other, but you will not have the kind of stable growth that will be more inclusive, which is what we are seeking. So we're very supportive of the theme that the Colombians have chosen, focusing on prosperity, and we're going to work closely with our neighbors in the region to have a very positive summit.
Q. Many of the governments in the region are on the same line with the U.S., Colombia, Mexico, Chile; others aren't, such as Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador. How do you work with them?
Secretary Clinton. Well, we think that it's important to continue to try to work with all of our neighbors in the region. And we regret that some of the countries are not following the example of their neighbors. If you look at what has been accomplished in Chile and Brazil and Peru and Colombia and Mexico, the kind of growth that we've seen, and not only growth, but lifting people out of poverty, we see the trends going in the opposite directions in the countries that you mentioned.
We want the entire region to prosper. So we are constantly encouraging every country to follow a pathway that has proven to be successful. We now have evidence about what works, and we encourage governments, businesses, citizens to look at what works in their own neighborhood and then follow that example.
Q. How would you define the U.S. Venezuela relationship? At this moment, there is no ambassador in each –in either country. President Chavez has health issues. How closely are you following that, and how would you define the relationship?
Secretary Clinton. Well, we certainly wish President Chavez good health and a good recovery from his illness. We have differences. There is no denying that. Everyone knows it. But on a people-to-people level, we are always looking for ways to work with the Venezuelan people, and we would like to see the Government of Venezuela be more open and cooperative in seeking a better economic future for their own people and working with their neighbors on mutual problems, like drug trafficking and criminal cartels and the environment. So we think there is opportunity for everyone to work together on common goals.
Q. You probably recognize the U.S.’s responsibility in the drug trade, consumption by Americans. But President Calderon of Mexico keeps on insisting on this same issue. Is there something the U.S. could do—is there more that you can do when Central America feels that not enough is being there and that that crisis is being overlooked?
Secretary Clinton. Well, Carlos, I think that the relationship that we have forged between the United States and Mexico is unprecedented. We are working closely together at all levels, and we strongly support the policies of the Calderon administration to try to end the violence, free the people of Mexico from the drug scourge, but also, at the same time, invest in people so that there's not an open door to the appeal of the money from the drug traffickers, where children are in school instead of on the streets selling drugs or getting involved in gangs. So it's a very important commitment that we've made through the Merida Initiative.
And then we are working with Mexico and Colombia to help our friends in Central America, because both Colombia and Mexico have resources and assets and experiences that they can help their Central American neighbors learn how better to protect themselves. We are all in this together. And you're right; when I first went to Mexico early in my term as Secretary of State, I said, “Look, we share in the responsibility for what is happening in Mexico along our border.” So we have to do more, and we have do better, and we're trying to do that.
Q. Final question: How does this law recently implemented in Alabama, HB 56 in illegal immigration, affect the effectiveness of American diplomacy in the region and the perception of the United States in the region?
Secretary Clinton. Well, we do not believe that they have the right to try to determine immigration policy from the state. We think that is a federal responsibility. And we've had other states, like Arizona, where we objected to and filed legal action against certain provisions in those laws that were passed at the state level. It doesn't reflect the laws nor does it reflect the attitudes of the vast majority of Americans. Now, we do have to do something about illegal immigration; everybody knows that. And we will continue to look for a way to achieve comprehensive immigration reform.
But one of the reasons why we are excited about programs like Pathways— and you heard some of the panelists that we were speaking to earlier today—like Alicia Barcena from ECLAC and others— say, “Look, what we're trying to do is improve the economies in the entire region.” People don't want to leave their homes; they want to stay and raise their families. So we need to be working on changing our own immigration laws, and we need to be working on improving the economies in our neighbors to the south. That's the best long -term solution.
Readout of President Obama's calls with Colombian President Santos and Panamanian President Martinelli, October 21, 2011Footnote 4
Earlier this afternoon, President Obama called President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia and President Ricardo Martinelli of Panama to congratulate each after having signed the implementing legislation for the Colombia and Panama Trade Promotion Agreements. The President noted that the agreements indicate the deep and enduring ties between the United States and both Colombia and Panama. In the calls the President underscored the importance of meeting the obligations of the agreements as each country moves toward implementation, as well as continued progress on implementation of the Colombia Labor Action Plan. Finally, the presidents discussed issues of mutual interest, including the upcoming Summit of the Americas, the Middle East, and trade.
Statements by Secretary of State Clinton and Peruvian Prime Minister Lerner, October 25, 2011Footnote 5
Secretary Hillary Clinton made these remarks with Prime Minister Salomon Lerner Ghitis in Washington, DC.
Secretary Clinton. I am delighted to welcome Prime Minister Lerner here for further consultations and discussions between our government and the new government in Peru. We are very grateful for a strong bilateral relationship that we wish to strengthen and broaden, and also for the role that Peru is playing in the region and beyond. President Obama will welcome President Humala to Hawaii for the APEC Summit next month. And so I look forward to our discussions, Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Lerner. I thank you so much for this visit and for your very warm welcome on behalf of President Humala, as well as on behalf of my entire delegation. We recognize the importance of the political relationship with the United States, and we will make every effort possible in order to broaden this relationship in every aspect, politically, in terms of trade, investment. And we thank you for all the discussions that we have had on a very wide range of topics in pursuit of this goal.
Secretary Clinton. Thank you, Prime Minister. Thank you all very much.
Statement by the White House Press Secretary on the North American Leaders’ Summit, October 28, 2011Footnote 6
President Obama will host Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada and President Felipe Calderon of Mexico for the North American Leaders’ Summit in Honolulu, Hawaii on November 13, 2011. The meeting will build on wide-ranging, on-going cooperation among the United States, Canada, and Mexico with a particular focus on competitiveness, citizen security, energy and climate change, and North America's role in the Americas as well as in global economic, political, and security issues. The last North American Leaders’ Summit was hosted by President Calderon in Guadalajara in August 2009.
Press Release from USAID, November 3, 2011Footnote 7
A U.S. Government delegation, consisting of representatives from USAID, the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the U.S. Departments of State, Treasury, Justice and Commerce traveled to El Salvador to sign a Joint Statement of Principles with the Government of El Salvador. The agreement will formally implement the Partnership for Growth initiative between the United States and El Salvador.
Partnership for Growth is a signature effort of President Barack Obama's development policy, focused on economic growth as the core priority for United States development efforts. President Obama and President Mauricio Funes announced the U.S.-El Salvador Partnership for Growth during President Obama's March 2011 visit to El Salvador.
Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Jose Fernandez signed the agreement today. Deputy Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean Mark Lopes represented USAID.
The Joint Statement of Principles signals our two countries’ intent to pursue a joint action plan to address the most critical constraints to broad-based, sustainable, and inclusive growth in El Salvador. The effort recognizes the important role of policy reforms to support the private sector and civil society in increasing El Salvador's participation in the global economy.
Partnership for Growth is not a new initiative focused on improving a single sector, but rather a comprehensive proposal aimed at accelerating and sustaining broad-based economic growth. In addition to El Salvador, the United States is working with the Philippines, Ghana and Tanzania on similar partnerships, with the aim of creating the next generation of emerging markets.
Remarks by President Obama and Argentine President Fernández, November 4, 2011Footnote 8
President Barack Obama and President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner gave the following remarks in Cannes, France
President Obama. Well, it is wonderful to be joined by the President of Argentina, a great friend of not only mine but the United States. We've spent a lot of time together at the G20, and I have very much appreciated the engagement and the passion that President Kirchner has brought to the important global issues that we've been discussing.
Obviously, there are a lot of bonds between Argentina and the United States that date back many years, and this is an excellent opportunity for us to build on that history. We have a wide range of areas of common interest and common concern. We'll be discussing the possibilities of deeper cooperation on economics, on trade, on science, on technology, and on security issues. And we'll also have a chance to discuss the upcoming Summit of the Americas in Colombia, and how we can set an agenda that focuses on increasing prosperity and employment and opportunity for people throughout the Americas.
So thank you so much, Madam President, for meeting with me. And I want to congratulate her on her recent election.
President Kirchner. Thank you very much, Mr. President. To me, as President of the Argentine Republic, it is indeed a pleasure to have a chance to meet you, and a great honor as well to have this relationship with you. And, of course, the leadership of the United States at the global level cannot be overlooked, not just in the political field but also in the economic field.
And this meeting is particularly significant to us. I would like to thank you for your kind words. And I would like to say that the G20 has proved a positive and fruitful meeting. We have had an opportunity to discuss problem candidly and in a straightforward and effective manner. So thank you once again for that, too.
Allow me to say as well that the U.S. is a top foreign investor worldwide, needless to say, and it is the second-largest foreign investor in Argentina, after Spain. In fact, over 500 American companies have settled down in Argentina, and 60 percent of those companies actually figure among the 100 leading companies of the United States. And they're also flagship companies—I must mention that, too.
It is a fact that the bilateral trade and bilateral relations between our two countries are extremely important for us as well. And although it is true that nowadays the United States has a surplus as far as Argentina is concerned, the figures that Argentina has experienced in recent years through its accumulated growth I daresay have also been positive for the balance of trade in the United States, since as the industrialization process resumed in Argentina we were obviously in need of products with added value that we were able to purchase from the United States.
Let me mention, by the way, that when President Kirchner took office in 2003, Argentina still had a positive balance, and the difference was $1 billion at the time. Of course, now the figures have changed, and we're talking about $4.7 billion in favor of the United States this year—the surplus figures being that.
I believe this will be an excellent opportunity for us to discuss, as I was saying, our bilateral and trade relations, and to look at ways to deepen and enhance those relationships. Let me also stress that the bonds between us are not just at an institutional but also at a personal level. I know that both President Obama and myself are big fans of science and technology and innovation. In fact, I as President, created the Minister of Science and Technology in Argentina.
Very recently, we were very pleased to receive a visit from NASA—actually, Mr. Charles Bolden came to see us. And the Argentine Republic has recently launched a satellite in cooperation with NASA. And one of the features of this satellite is that it can be used to measure the salinity of the seas and the impact this has on climate change. And we also know this is one issue that has made President Obama lose sleep in recent times—and not just him, but me as well.
There are many other issues and commonalities between us. Of course, international security, drug trafficking, the fight against terrorism, among other many areas of common interest that we both consider important—and trafficking in persons, I should mention as well. So we believe this will be a wonderful opportunity for fruitful and positive discussions between us.
Statement by President Obama, November 10, 2011Footnote 9
President Obama. I support the State Department's announcement today regarding the need to seek additional information about the Keystone XL Pipeline proposal. Because this permit decision could affect the health and safety of the American people as well as the environment, and because a number of concerns have been raised through a public process, we should take the time to ensure that all questions are properly addressed and all the potential impacts are properly understood. The final decision should be guided by an open, transparent process that is informed by the best available science and the voices of the American people. At the same time, my administration will build on the unprecedented progress we've made towards strengthening our nation's energy security, from responsibly expanding domestic oil and gas production to nearly doubling the fuel efficiency of our cars and trucks, to continued progress in the development of a clean energy economy.
Press Release from USAID, November 18, 2011Footnote 10
The U.S. government and the Haitian Parliament today inaugurated a temporary building complex that will be the official center of Haitian legislative power. The previous Parliament building partially collapsed during the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake. Among the estimated 316,000 who died in the 7.0-magnitude quake were two Parliament members and 32 staff members killed in the collapse of the National Assembly building.
Records and archives were buried, and representatives from both the Lower Chamber (Chambre des Deputes) and the Upper Chamber (Senat) were left without meeting and office space at a time of urgent need for efficient, responsive governance.
With the Parliament buildings too damaged to be rehabilitated, the U.S. government pledged to provide semi-permanent office space as a replacement. Until new quarters could be constructed, the Parliament worked out of the Police Academy, and then a damaged Parliament office building.
The new $1.9 million Parliament complex, funded and constructed through the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Office of Transition Initiatives, was completed last month through a subcontract with TEMPO Construction, a Haitian firm. It will serve as a home for Parliament for several years until a permanent National Assembly building can be constructed.
“The U.S. Government's partnership is with all branches of the Haitian government, and the Haitian Parliament, which has a critical role in building a better Haiti, now has a location befitting its importance to good democratic governance on behalf of the Haitian people,” said Ambassador to Haiti Kenneth H. Merten, who attended the inauguration along with Haiti President Michel Martel-ly and Prime Minister Garry Conille.
The site features two large semi-permanent steel-framed structures, landscaping, fencing, lighting and generators. The complex provides more than 22,000 square feet of office space in two co-joined buildings and one joint assembly hall.
“USAID's support to democracy in Haiti aims to be comprehensive, providing not only new space to allow Parliament members to meet but also organizational and administrative capacity building as they fulfill their roles as representatives of the Haitian people,” said USAID/Haiti Mission Director Carleene H. Dei.
USAID has supplied technical and material support to the Haitian Parliament since 2006. A recently completed project provided orientation and technical training for members and staff; support for constituent outreach; the production of a website, TV and radio programs on the work of the Parliament; and equipment and training for the recording of parliamentary sessions.
A new project to extend and expand USAID's support of Haiti's Parliament started in early October. This project will work with Parliamentarians and legislative staff to identify their needs, which may include technical assistance for budgetary and policy analysis, and constituent outreach services. The project aims to enhance Parliament's ability to provide better oversight of government operations and increase transparency and accountability in government operations.
Excerpts of Remarks by President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Harper, December 7, 2011Footnote 11
President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave these remarks in Washington, DC
President Obama. Good afternoon, everybody. Please be seated.
I am very pleased to welcome my friend and partner, Prime Minister Harper, back to the White House. Whenever we get together it's a chance to reaffirm the enduring alliance between our nations, the extraordinary bonds between our peoples, the excellent cooperation between our governments, and my close personal friendship to the Prime Minister.
Stephen, I believe this is the 11th time that we've sat down and worked together, not including our many summits around the world. And on occasions like this, unfortunately, I only speak one language; Stephen moves effortlessly between two. But no matter what language we speak, we always understand each other. In Stephen, I've got a trusted partner, and I think he'll agree that perhaps no two nations match up more closely together, or are woven together more deeply, economically, culturally, than the United States and Canada.
And that deep sense of interconnection, our shared values, our shared interests, infused the work that we have done today—from supporting a resolution to the eurozone crisis to moving ahead with the transition in Afghanistan, from deepening security cooperation here in the Americas to supporting reform and democratic transitions in the Middle East and North Africa.
Our focus today, however, is on our highest priority, and my top priority as President, and that's creating jobs faster and growing the economy faster. And in this mission, Canada has a special role to play. As most of you know, Canada is our single largest trading partner, our top export market, and those exports—from cars to food—support some 1.7 million good-paying American jobs. Canada, in turn, is one of the top foreign investors in the United States, and that creates even more jobs and prosperity.
And the Prime Minister and I are determined not just to sustain this trade but to expand it, to grow it even faster, so we're creating even more jobs and more opportunity for our people. Canada is key to achieving my goal of doubling American exports and putting folks back to work. And the two important initiatives that we agreed to today will help us do just that.
First, we're agreeing to a series of concrete steps to bring our economies even closer and to improve the security of our citizens—not just along our shared border, but “beyond the border.” Put simply, we're going to make it easier to conduct the trade and travel that creates jobs, and we're going to make it harder for those who would do us harm and threaten our security.
For example, some 90 percent of all our trade—more than a billion dollars in trade every single day—passes through our roads, our bridges and our ports. But because of old systems and heavy congestion, it still takes too many products too long to cross our borders. And for every business, either Canadian or American, time is money.
So we're going to improve our infrastructure, we're going to introduce new technologies, we're going to improve cargo security and screening—all designed to make it easier for our companies to do business and create jobs. And that, by the way, includes our small businesses, which create most of the new jobs here in America. And when they look to export, typically, Canada is one of the most likely places they are to start getting a foothold in the global economy. So it's hugely important for our small and medium-sized businesses.
Last year, more than 100 million people crossed our shared border, including lots of Canadians who, I'd note, spend more money in the United States than any other visitors. So I want to make a pitch: We want even more Canadians visiting the United States. And please spend more money here. We want to make it easier for frequent travelers and our businesspeople to travel, and we're going to create a simplified entry-exit system.
I'd add that along with better screening and sharing more information, this will help us be even smarter about our joint security, concentrating our resources where they're needed most —identifying real threats to our security before they reach our shores.
The second thing we're doing is we're ramping up our effort to get rid of outdated, unjustified regulations that stifle trade and job creation. This is especially important in sectors like the auto industry, where so many cars and products are built on both sides of the border. But sometimes that's slowed down by regulations and paperwork that, frankly, just doesn't make sense.
So we're going to strike a better balance with sensible regulations that unleash trade and job creation, while still protecting public health and safety. And this builds on the efforts that we have here in the United States, led by Cass Sunstein at OIRA, where we're eliminating billions of dollars in costs from regulations.
Now our two nations are going to be going further, streamlining, eliminating and coordinating regulations, slashing red tape, and we're going to focus on several key sectors, including autos, agriculture and health care. So this can be a win-win situation, where not only are we making our regulatory systems more efficient in our respective countries, but we're also seeing greater convergence between our two countries.
Even as we pursue these two new initiatives, the Prime Minister and I discussed our broader economic relationship. I'm pleased that Canada has expressed an interest in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Many of you accompanied me to the APEC meeting where you know that this has generated a great deal of interest. So we look forward to consulting with Canada, as well as our TPP partners and others, about how all of us can meet the high standards demanded by this trade agreement. And it can be I think a real model, not only for the region but for the world.
We did discuss the proposed Keystone XI pipeline, which is very important to Canada. And I think the Prime Minister and our Canadian friends understand that it's important for us to make sure that all the questions regarding the project are properly understood, especially its impact on our environment and the health and safety of the American people. And I assured him that we will have a very rigorous process to work through that issue.
So we're going to continue to work as partners and as friends. And, Stephen, on this day and in all the discussions that we have, I want to thank you again for your candor, your sense of common purpose, what you bring—and your team brings to this partnership. It's been extraordinary. And I want to personally thank you for the progress that our teams made in these two very important announcements that we made today.
I'm confident, by the way, that we are going to implement them diligently. We have folks like Secretary Napolitano from Department of Homeland Security, and Cass Sunstein, who are going to be heading up our team, and making sure that these things go into effect in a way that benefits both the Canadian people and the American people.
And so, Stephen, to all the people of Canada, thank you. To you, thank you. And I wish everybody a wonderful holiday season.
Prime Minister Harper. Well, thank you, Barack. Thank you for, first of all, our candid conversation today, as always. We always appreciate that. We appreciate all the work that's been done on this. I did mention Bob Hamilton, Simon Kennedy working on our side. But I do want to thank all the officials on both sides who've been working hard over very many months to do what is a very important initiative.
And of course, I do want to thank you for your friendship, not just personally, Barack, but I know the friendship you feel for the entire nation of Canada, and we all do appreciate it.
Today, we are pleased to announce ambitious agreements on perimeter security and economic competitiveness, as well as on regulatory cooperation. These agreements create a new, modern order for a new century. Together, they represent the most significant steps forward in Canada-U.S. cooperation since the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The first agreement merges U.S. and Canadian security concerns with our mutual interest in keeping our border as open as possible to legitimate commerce and travel.
As I said in February, Canada has no friend among America's enemies. What threatens the security and well-being of the United States threatens the security and well-being of Canada. Nevertheless, measures to deal with criminal and terrorist threats can thicken the border, hindering our efforts to create jobs and growth.
Today, our two governments are taking practical steps to reverse that direction. We are agreed, for example, that the best place to deal with trouble is at the continental perimeter; that smarter systems can reduce the needless inconvenience posed to manufacturers and travelers by multiple inspections of freight and baggage.
We also believe that just as threats should be stopped at the perimeter, trusted travelers should cross the border more quickly. Indeed, these priorities are complementary. The key that locks the door against terrorists also opens a wider gate to cross-border trade and travel.
The second joint initiative will reduce regulatory barriers to trade by streamlining and aligning standards where it makes sense to do so. Naturally, in this area, as in all others, no loss of sovereignty is contemplated by either of our governments. However, every rule needs a reason. Where no adequate reason exists for a rule or standard and that rule hinders us from doing business on both sides of the border, then that rule needs to be reexamined.
Ladies and gentlemen, today's agreements will yield lasting benefits to travelers, traders, manufacturers, in fact everybody whose legitimate business or pleasure takes them across the border. And we take these steps, both of us, to protect jobs, to grow our economies, and to keep our citizens safe. And I say “we” because we are each other's largest export customers. The benefits of cooperation will, therefore, be enjoyed on both sides of the border.
Let me also take this opportunity, Barack, to recognize your leadership in this work. This does reflect the vision— the large vision—that you have for continental trade and security, and your commitment to the creation of jobs and growth. And it is, I believe—these agreements today—it's always necessary to say it—the next chapter in a marvelous relationship, and a relationship that really is a shining example to the world.
We talked today about other parts of the world that are more troubled, and believe me, if we could replicate our relationship anywhere in the world, the world would be a better place. We're always delighted to be here, always thankful of having the United States as our great friend and neighbor, and once again, delighted to be here today.
Q. Hi, there. Prime Minister, will Canada warn Americans about visitors to Canada from suspect countries like Pakistan, even if they have no intention of coming to the U.S. under this new agreement?
And, Mr. President, do you want to be warned? Do you want that kind of information? And in French, please, Mr. Harper.
Prime Minister Harper. We do—I think, as you know, our two countries cooperate on international security issues very closely and very regularly. That cooperation, at the same time, is governed by agreements and defined protocols. And those will remain in effect.
