President Barack Obama and President Juan Manuel Santos delivered these remarks in Washington, DC

President Obama. It is my great pleasure to welcome President Santos and the rest of the delegation from Colombia here to the White House.

I had the pleasure of meeting President Santos shortly after he was elected, on the sidelines of meetings at the United Nations, and we are now continuing our conversation.

The United States has an enormous interest in the development of Latin America and an enormous interest in progress in Colombia. We have been a partner there as Colombia dealt with some very difficult times and has now blossomed into a strong democracy that is respectful of human rights and is moving forward vigorously to provide economic opportunity for all of its people.

President Santos I think is at the forefront of a progressive and thoughtful agenda within Colombia. He's obviously initiating a whole range of reforms. Colombia is also a leader when it comes to security in the region, and we are glad that we've been able to partner with Colombia not only to deal with security situations inside Colombia, but now increasingly Colombia can be a role model for the rest of the region.

And I just realized I was going to have translation, so let me stop there, and then we can continue.

In short, Colombia is one of our strongest partners not only in the region but around the world. And when we met in September, I suggested to President Santos that we should do even more to deepen and strengthen our relationship. And in pursuit of that deepening relationship, I dispatched my team to Colombia to discuss how we can finally move forward on trade agreements between our two countries.

So today, I am very pleased to announce that we have developed an action plan for labor rights in Colombia, consistent with our values and interests, but more importantly, consistent with President Santos' vision of a just and equitable society inside of Colombia. And we believe that this serves as a basis for us moving forward on a U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement.

Now, there's obviously a lot of work to do to translate this action plan into reality. And we are going to continue to engage with President Santos and his administration in an active process to ensure good working conditions, to make sure that trade unionists are protected, to make sure that we're creating a level of playing field for business and workers here and around the world.

And so I very much appreciate President Santos' efforts. He emphasized to me how important this is to him personally and the fact that Colombia sees a vision for its country in which all workers are treated fairly. And I have great confidence in his ability to be able to execute on this plan, and we look forward to working with him on it.

Now, obviously, the United States represents an important market for Colombian businesses, and so this is going to be a win for Colombia. It's also a win for the United States. This represents a potential $1 billion of exports and it could mean thousands of jobs for workers here in the United States. And so I believe that we can structure a trade agreement that is a win-win for both our countries, and I'm looking forward to working with President Santos to ensure that both countries benefit. And this will help me meet my goal of making sure the United States has doubled exports over the coming years and that we're as competitive as we can be in a global marketplace in the 21st century.

Finally, let me just say that President Santos obviously has strong connections with the United States and particularly with the Kansas Jayhawks. We were both disappointed that Kansas did not go all the way, but President Santos assures me that there's always next year.

And so I appreciate President Santos not only for having faith in my bracket, but also having faith in the strong relationship and friendship between the United States and Colombia.

And I am looking forward to visiting Colombia next year for the Summit of the Americas, in which I think, under President Santos' leadership, I'm confident we'll be able to do a lot of work to strengthen relations with all the countries in the hemisphere.

So, President Santos, welcome.

His English is better than mine, but he may decide to present in Spanish and have it translated into English so he can speak to his people back home.

Thank you.

President Santos. Well, I'm going to be speaking in Spanish because I'd like to have all of my countrymen in Colombia able to hear me.

First of all, I want to thank President Obama very deeply. I want to thank him personally and I also want to thank him on behalf of the Colombian people, and thank his administration for welcoming us to the White House and to the United States at this time. I know it's a very intense political time for you, so I think you very specially.

We met back in September, as the President said, and we decided then that we wanted to strengthen our relationship and we wanted to broaden our relationship. And I think that since then we've made good progress. And within that progress that I've referred to, the most important thing for Colombia, of course, is the good news that we've had with regard to the free trade agreement today. We've been working on getting a green light for this to go to Congress for five years, and we got that green light today.

This is a very important event for Colombia. It's important not just because of our foreign trade but also because of our relationship with the United States and for the progress and development of Colombia. We're extremely pleased as a result because this is part of the development plan that we're working on for Colombia to achieve development and even better progress with social justice.

And President Obama and I share common values—values having to do with democracy, the progressive ideas that we share—and this event takes us one step further in the defense of those values. The free trade agreement for Colombia means more jobs; it means more trade, more investment, more prosperity as a result. But the same is true for the United States. The United States has been losing markets in Colombia because of the free trade agreements that we have already signed with other nations. Now that relationship is going to become more balanced and the trade balance between us is going to be corrected.

The action plan that is giving the green light to the free trade agreement is one that establishes stronger defense of workers—physical defense of workers. And in it, we put down in black and white objectives, and along with those objectives, a date for each one.

The first date we have set forth is April 22nd. April 22nd is going to carry with it a series of commitments with regard to worker protections, worker rights, the strengthening of justice. And so we are going to start off on April 22nd with making a presentation to Congress.

And so a number of measures are going to be taken after that with regard to objectives having to do with democracy, where the rights of all, and especially the rights of workers, are going to be guaranteed and protected. This important step is going to strengthen our democracy, and it's going to restrengthen the capacity that we have to defend our workers' rights.

And, finally, the President and I had an opportunity to touch on other issues on the agenda that we share. Opening up the way for the free trade agreement allows us to take our strategic relationship even further. We discussed things like the upcoming Summit of the Americas, which is going to be hosted by Colombia in April of 2012, in the city of Cartagena.

We talked about how we will work together to follow up on President Obama's historic Latin America visit, a visit in which in his speech he presented an outline of how the United States will be working with Latin America. And we want to take specific actions now on Latin America and the United States in the relationship that they will be developing in the future.

As you know, the United States has a growing Hispanic population. This is a very important link with Latin America, and we want to strengthen it even more.

Thank you.

President Obama. Thank you. Thank you, everybody.

Secretary Hillary Clinton and President–elect Michel Martelly delivered these remarks in Washington, DC

Secretary Clinton. Well, good afternoon, everyone. It is a great pleasure and an honor for me to welcome the President-elect to the State Department on behalf of the United States Government, and to formally congratulate President-elect Martelly on his victory in the election.

I also congratulate the people of Haiti on the election. It not only affirmed and strengthened the foundations of Haiti's democracy; it also helped shine light on the work that has been done and the work that still has to be done to recover from the damage of the earthquake and firmly set Haiti on a path to long-term stability and development. And perhaps most importantly, this election offered the people of Haiti an opportunity to give voice to their dreams for their country's future. And now it will be up to Mr. Martelly and his government to do everything in their power to help achieve those dreams.

This election comes at a critical moment. In the 15 months since the earthquake, there has been progress in important areas. Twenty percent of the rubble, more than 2 million cubic meters, has been cleared, and that was through a program that employed more than 350,000 people that the United States was proud to support. A new industrial park near Cap Haitien, through a joint effort by the Government of Haiti, the United States, and the Inter-American Development Bank has been created. It has its first tenant, the global textile firm Sae-A, which alone is projected to create 20,000 permanent export-oriented jobs. And we expect more companies to be drawn to Haiti because of a very important piece of legislation passed by Congress last year called the Haiti Economic Lift Program, the HELP program, which significantly increased U.S. trade preferences for exports of apparel from Haiti. We also want to acknowledge the successful response by the Haitian Ministry of Health and Population and the international community to curtail the cholera epidemic.

Now these are successes that deserve to be celebrated, but we also know that there is a lot that lies ahead for the new president, for the government, and the people of Haiti. Still, there's a lot of rubble to be cleared. There are still 650,000 people living in camps. The hurricane season is once again approaching. We want to do everything we can to be a good partner for Haiti as it takes steps that it must take, making it easier, for example, to transfer ownership of state-owned land for affordable housing, to streamline the process for registering new businesses, getting construction permits approved, attracting investment and encouraging growth. We also know that the prisons in Haiti are overcrowded. Eighty percent of those detained have yet to face trial. Updating criminal codes, processing the backlog of demands, and implementing other judicial reforms will go a long way toward creating a functioning and more humane justice system.

We know this takes leadership, which we have seen Mr. Martelly exhibit in his very vigorous campaign. We know it takes political will, which we know he has, a commitment to transparency and good governance, and to getting results for people. I am very encouraged by the campaign that Mr. Martelly ran, his emphasis on the people and their needs, his willingness to be very clear in what he hoped to achieve on their behalf, and now he has a chance to lead. And we are behind him. We have a great deal of enthusiasm. This is not only a goal of our foreign policy, but it is a personal priority for me, my husband, and many of us here in Washington.

Now some of you may know that Mr. Martelly's campaign slogan was “Tet Kale.” Now I'm told the literal translation of that slogan is “Baldhead,” which doesn't need any further explanation. But “Tet Kale” is also an expression that means “All the way.” And the people of Haiti may have a long road ahead of them, but as they walk it, the United States will be with you all the way. Thank you, sir.

President–elect Martelly. Thank you very much. I would like to thank especially Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for having hosted me and my team. This is the second time that we meet since your visit in Haiti. I would like to extend my thanks to the Obama Administration and to the President himself. Once again, the elections of November and March demonstrated the fierce determination of the Haitian people to build its own democracy.

Now, it is up to me to transform my campaign promises into an action plan. Clearly, I have huge challenges in front of me, but I intend to meet them. In spite of the generous donations of the American citizens, which have reached $1.2 billion received by 53 NGOs, and in spite of the donation by the Government of the United States of $1.5 billion, we still have 1.7 million people who still live under tents after 15 long months of waiting. The cholera epidemic, if it is not contained and if Haitians are not vaccinated, this epidemic threatens to extend itself to the entire country during the upcoming rainy and hurricane season. In addition, starting on June 1^st, the country will have to confront up to 16 hurricanes scheduled— anticipated next summer. The reconstruction process is despairingly slow.

These were the complaints that were expressed by a desperate population throughout my election campaign. This is why recovering and restarting the economy is a fundamental necessity for my government. This is why I plan on working relentlessly towards the reconstruction of the framework of international aid, to give new life to the business sector, and to develop the capabilities of government institutions and of civil society.

Madam Secretary of State, I am truly counting on you to ensure that this restructuring of foreign aid be truly effective for Haiti. Bilateral cooperation also involves fighting against drugs and corruption, respect for human rights, the establishment of the rule of law, the increased and necessary role of our Diaspora community, TPS, deportees, good governance, recovering agriculture at a special moment where worldwide prices are drastically increasing, and the establishment of a climate favorable for potential and future investors. Our discussions focused on the urgent need to ensure that the aid will be effective for our citizens and to avoid waste.

Finally, I discussed with the Secretary of State President Barack Obama's offer to create a partnership with Haiti. My new vision for my country is to engage in all of the useful and necessary reforms to ensure that Haiti will be a full member of the modernity of the 21^st century.

Thank you, Madam Secretary, for your very warm welcome.

Q. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Secretary. On Libya, you, it was announced today, have decided to recommend the provision to the President—recommend nonlethal aid for the opposition. Why did you decide to do that, and why now? Isn't this really a tacit admission that right now, this situation is a stalemate and you, in effect, must do this for an opposition that is incapable of doing it itself?

And then just a quick one on Syria— the emergency law is lifted, the killings go on. Where are we going with this? Isn't it—the situation now going backwards? What just happened?

Secretary Clinton. Well, Jill, first with respect to Libya, we are moving to authorize up to $25 million in nonlethal commodities and services to support the Transitional National Council and our efforts to protect civilians and the civilian populated areas that are under threat of attack from their own government in Libya. Now the $25 million in goods and services will be drawn down from items already in government stocks that correspond with the needs that we have heard from the Transitional National Council. As you know, we have our special representative Chris Stevens in Benghazi, as well as a USAID team. They have been meeting continuously with representatives there as to what is required in order to support their needs and protect civilians.

Now some of the items are medical supplies, uniforms, boots, tents, personal protective gear, radios, halal meals. There are no new purchases. This is not a blank check. But this action is consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which among other actions, authorized member states to take all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian populated areas. The Department of State and the Department of Defense are working closely together with other partner nations in order to coordinate on what kind of nonlethal assistance is most necessary, and who among the international community can provide which goods and services.

Now, I think it's important to point out that this opposition, which has held its own against a brutal assault by the Qadhafi forces, was not an organized militia. It was not a group that had been planning to oppose the rule of Qadhafi for years. It was a spontaneous response within the context of the broader Arab spring. These are mostly businesspeople, students, lawyers, doctors, professors, who have very bravely moved to defend their communities and to call for an end to the regime in Libya, and we are going to continue to take actions consistent with UN authorization to try to fulfill the international commitment.

Now with respect to Syria, we strongly condemn the ongoing violence committed against peaceful protestors by the Syrian Government. We also condemn any use of violence by protestors. We have been consistent, ever since the events of the last months have begun and have continued, that we are calling for an end to violence, we're calling for peaceful protests, and a political process that can respond to the legitimate needs, interests, and aspirations of the people of the region. And we regret the loss of life and extend our condolences to the families and loved ones of all of the victims.

We are particularly concerned about the situation in Homs, where multiple reports suggest violence and casualties among both civilians and government personnel. It is difficult to independently confirm these accounts because journalists are not being allowed free access to many of these areas. The Syrian Government must allow free movement and free access; it must stop the arbitrary arrests, detentions, and torture of prisoners; and it must cease the violence and begin a serious political process through concrete actions to demonstrate its responsiveness to the legitimate issues that have been raised by the Syrian people seeking substantial and lasting reform.

Q. Hi, thank you for taking the questions. This is for both the Secretary of State and the President-elect. One of the points of contention for the Haitian Government has been very interested in getting U.S. aid, direct aid, to the Haitian Government, and I was wondering if that was talked about, and also if there was any talk during your talk of—the President-elect has suggested some sort of a Haitian military group restarting, and if there was talk of that.

President–elect Martelly. With respect to the first part of your question, I would say that American aid has been coming to my country for decades now in various forms, via USAID or through other structures. We talked about various projects, projects that are underway, projects that are on the verge of completion. And I also talked about my priorities, the priorities that I emphasized during my campaign, which were education, relocation of the people who were living under the tents and, of course, restarting agriculture. So those are some of the priorities that I emphasized during my campaign.

As to the second part of your question, I would say that right now, MINUSTAH is the country, is in Haiti. It is playing an important role. It is safeguarding the peace, maintaining peace in the country. So when the time will come to consider a rebuilding of a new force, we will talk about those issues in a timely fashion.

Secretary Clinton. I would only add to what the President-elect has said, that the United States has pledged not only a partnership, but one where we look to assist him in achieving his priorities for the people of his country. We have also suggested that we can work with the large international and NGO community together so that everyone is committed to pursuing in a transparent, open way the priorities that the President-elect has determined will make the biggest difference in the lives of Haitians. He is committed to results, he wants to deliver for the Haitian people, and we are committed to helping him do so. Thank you all, very much.

President Barack Obama and President Ricardo Martinelli delivered these remarks in Washington, DC

President Obama. Well, I want to welcome President Martinelli to the Oval Office, to the White House. As I think all of you know, the relationship between the United States and Panama is a historical relationship, and a strong friendship that isn't just at the government level, but it is the person-to-person level.

Obviously, there are a lot of Panamanian Americans who live here. At the same time, President Martinelli was just informing me that 7 percent of the Panamanian population is from the United States. And so that constant contact between people I think is part of what has made us such strong friends and allies for generations.

Also, obviously, we share an interest in baseball. And if, Mr. President, you have somebody who is the next Mariano Rivera, make sure they go to the Chicago White Sox.

President Martinelli. The White Sox, not the Yankees.

President Obama. Not the Yankees. They've had enough. In building on that friendship, we discussed a wide range of issues in our meeting today. Obviously, one of the most important ones is how do we grow the economies of both countries. And in that regard, we are very pleased by the progress that we've made in moving forward a U.S.-Panamanian free trade agreement.

Thanks to the leadership of President Martinelli, there have been a range of significant reforms in banking and taxation in Panama. And we are confident now that a free trade agreement would be good for our country, would create jobs here in the United States, open up new markets with potential for billions of dollars of cross-border trade. We think it would be also very good for Panama and allow additional economic exchanges between our two countries.

So my expectation is, is that as part of a broader trade package that we're going to be presenting to Congress, that we're going to be able to get this done. And I want to thank again President Martinelli for his leadership on this issue.

We also discussed security in the region. We have had very close cooperation between our two governments on issues of drug interdiction and dealing with the constant problem of the drug trade in Central America. And Panama has been one of the leaders that we've worked with in trying to roll back the incursion of the drug cartels into the region.

I know President Martinelli is greatly committed to this issue, and we discussed how we could cooperate together not only in the interdiction side but also in helping other countries in the region to build up their capacity. And we think that Panama is going to be critical to the Central American Security Partnership that I've announced previously.

We also discussed some of the broader issues related to the region. We both agreed that the more we can do to showcase the success of free markets, commitments to democracy, human rights, individual liberties, freedom of the press, the more that we are highlighting those shared values between our two countries, the more successful the people of the region will be.

And so, again, I just want to say to President Martinelli, thank you for your visit. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for your leadership. The American people know that we have a great friend in the people of Panama and we hope that the people of Panama know that they have a great friend in the United States of America.

President Martinelli. Well, thank you very much. Thank you, President Obama. This has been a very fruitful meeting for Panama and the United States.

As you all know, we, Panama has completed all the necessary steps in order to have a free trade agreement with the U.S. This new agreement will bring jobs for both countries. It will also bring growth for the United States and for Panama.

The United States is Panama's main and biggest ally, and we have always looked to the United States as our main supplier for many goods and services.

At the same time, we also spoke about the security issues. And Panama, as you all know, is the first frontier in Central America to the drug-producing countries. And being Panama successful makes the U.S. much safer in crime and drugs in all the cities of the United States. The more drugs that we catch, the less amount of drugs that will come to the United States.

We have a—we are going to work very closely with the United States on security and on commerce, because this is the only way that we can expand growth in both of our economies, expand trade, expand jobs, and at the same time, this will bring a better quality of life to all the citizens of the U.S. and of Panama.

President Obama. Thank you, Mr. President.

President Martinelli. Mr. President, thank you very much.

President Obama. Thank you, everybody.

Secretary Hillary Clinton delivered this statement in Washington, DC

Secretary Clinton. Well, thank you very much and welcome to the State Department for this very important meeting of the Council of the Americas. I want to thank you, John, for the introduction. And I just had a chance to say hello to President Funes and his delegation, and I'm so pleased that he is here. And I understand that President Calderon will be speaking later, so you have some real all stars for the program of leaders who are making a real difference in the region. Susan, thank you for leading the Council of the Americas at such a vital moment in the history of this region.

And I want to take a moment of personal privilege to thank one of our own:

Assistant Secretary Arturo Valenzuela, who will soon conclude two years of service as Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere. The United States has had no greater champion for strengthening our bonds with our neighbors. And speaking for myself and all of our colleagues, I will say prematurely but very heartfelt that we're going to miss you when you return to Georgetown this fall. Thank you, Arturo.

Now, some may wonder why our excellent Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar is here, other than his deep interest in the region and his deep roots and family ties. Following this address, Ken and I will be flying to Greenland for the Arctic Council meeting, and it's a significant attempt to make sure that we manage the Arctic at such a critical juncture in global history, so I'm delighted that Secretary Salazar could be with us.

This region is vital to our interests, and yet at the same time, despite whatever is going on elsewhere in the world, there is nothing more important than continuing our work to consolidate democracy, embrace smart economic policy, continue lifting tens of millions of people out of poverty, taking on a more active role in the world, and generally making it clear that we are in this together, that we will rise or fall together in the 21^st century because we have so many interests that are at stake.

For our own economic interests, we are rebuilding our own economy and renewing our competitiveness, and we have no more important partners than those in this hemisphere.

For our security and strategic interests, we have to design an architecture of cooperation, and we are looking more and more to increasingly capable partners in the hemisphere. For our core values, as we promote democracy and human rights here and around the world, we can point time and time again to what is happening in our partners and friends in this hemisphere.

And for our society and culture, the growing connections between us make our relationship even more vital and innovative.

In short, as I said in March, there is power in our proximity—now, our geographic proximity to be sure, but also the proximity of our economic interests, our values, our culture, and the challenges we share.

So we've had a flurry of activity lately, highlighted by President Obama's trip in March. In Brazil, he completed agreements for high-level dialogues on economics and energy, which we believe will promote cooperation, streamline regulations, and help us take concrete steps that provide tangible benefits to all of our people. In Chile, he laid out a framework of equal partnership, and in a speech to the entire hemisphere showed how much that partnership can deliver through our engagement with a strong democracy that is playing an increasingly active role beyond the region. And in El Salvador, he announced the Partnership for Growth, which is aimed at addressing the chronic constraints to development.

And he also announced a landmark citizen security effort to strengthen our work with partners throughout the region, to promote the rule of law, to fight the gangs and narco-traffickers that unfortunately produce the highest crime rate in the world throughout our area. As all of you know, rates of violence and crime are unacceptably high in too many places in our hemisphere. But when I look at the experience of Colombia in recent years, I see that we can overcome this threat, but we have to do it together.

So through this new partnership, we will focus $200 million on building up courts, civil society groups, and other institutions. But ultimately, as President Funes has advocated so eloquently, we want to help take on the economic and social forces that drive young people into a life of crime. And this partnership will create a chance for all of us to learn from each other about what works. Let's quit doing what doesn't work and let's start doing more of what does work. And by connecting countries that are looking to step up their own efforts with partners who have valuable expertise on these issues—like Colombia and Mexico working together— and with donors like the U.S., Canada, Spain, and the EU, we can help every nation do more to protect its own people.

Now, the President took that trip about six weeks ago, but in diplomatic time it seems like eons ago because so much has happened since. But I'm pleased to report that we have kept our eye on this particular goal and we are making real progress on our priorities.

First, on trade and economic growth. One of our top goals is to complete free trade agreements with Colombia and Panama. Now, I'm not talking out of school when I say that free trade agreements always raise hard questions and they spark a lot of healthy debate in our country. But today, I am happy to report we are making great progress on both agreements. We have worked with our Panamanian and Colombian partners to address key concerns and forge broader bipartisan support in the Congress, just as we did with the South Korean Free Trade Agreement. Panama passed important new laws on labor rights and tax transparency. With Colombia, we have established an action plan to address concerns about labor rights, violence, and impunity. And Colombia has already taken important steps to implement this plan, and we are working hard to execute the next phase by June 15. Thanks to President Santos's extraordinary leadership, I have no doubt we will meet that deadline.

So this year—early this year—we intend to send Congress the legislation that would implement all three pending FTAs. In addition, we will be sending our broader trade agenda, including renewal of the Andean Trade Preferences and the Trade Adjustment Assistance. And with these steps, we believe we will be well on our way to reaching our goal.

Now, I think this is good news for the people of all our countries. In the United States alone, these three agreements— Colombia, Panama, the Andean Trade Preference renewal—could add more than $10 billion to our economic output, and that would translate into some 70,000 new jobs for American workers. And by adding Colombia and Panama to our existing FTAs, we will create an unbroken chain of economic integration from the start of the Rockies in Canada all the way to the end of the Andes.

As we move forward on these free trade agreements, we're also making other progress in other aspects of our economic relationships. With Mexico, thankfully, we have adopted a coordinated action plan with concrete steps that we believe will make the border both more secure and more efficient, and we are successfully resolving our differences over the cargo trucks that cross our border. Under the trucking plan that we're now finalizing, we will make it safer, cheaper, and easier to move goods across our common border, and Mexico will remove the retaliatory tariffs they placed on more than $2 billion of our goods.

And in the weeks since President Obama's visit to Brazil, the array of agreements he announced—on infrastructure for the World Cup and the Olympics, on aviation and maritime transport, on biofuels, R&D, and so much more—is spurring a serious acceleration in our economic relationship.

Second, beyond expanding trade and economic opportunity, we are building flexible multilateral partnerships to help us address the strategic challenges we face. Pathways to Prosperity and the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas are promoting inclusive growth and sustainable energy security. Mexico's leadership in Cancun late last year was absolutely crucial in putting the world on a path toward greater cooperation to confront climate change, and it was a Mexican proposal for the Green Fund that will serve as the vehicle for assisting developing countries in meeting their climate needs.

In addition, every nation in the hemisphere has sent food, people, or money to help Haiti recover from last year's earthquake. Members of the OAS and the Caribbean community helped to set up electoral polls, monitor the presidential election, and supported the national electoral authority. And this Saturday, when the Haitian people inaugurate a new president, they will know they had the support of their neighbors in ensuring that their votes were counted and their voices were heard.

Third, we continue to work to advance our shared democratic values. Now, Latin America has undergone a stunning transformation over the past few decades, but we cannot afford complacency. We have to keep working on institutionalizing democracy and preserving and protecting fundamental freedoms.

Now, in Honduras we have seen how effective that kind of common approach can be. And now that the obstacles to former President Zelaya's return to Honduras have been removed, I am confident that we will soon welcome Honduras back as a full member of the inter-American system. That is a step that is long overdue.

Finally, all of these opportunities are going to require leadership. We still face a huge inequality gap in Latin America. In fact, from the United States south we do, because if you look at developed, advanced economies, unfortunately, our country has one of the largest gaps in inequality as well. So we've got to continue to focus on how we help equip people with the skills and tools they need to make the most out of their God-given potential.

Now, the United States, I believe, is blessed to have one of the largest Spanish-speaking populations in the world. And Latinos are the fastest-growing group in our country. We are interdependent, and we have to deal with the real questions that interdependence poses. Take immigration, for example. I know that makes some people anxious, but it has long been a source of our vitality and our innovative spirit. And that's why, as President Obama said yesterday in El Paso, we are committed to comprehensive immigration reform.

We're also committed to greatly expanding the connections between people in our country and people throughout the hemisphere. That's the idea behind our new initiative called 100,000 Strong in the Americas that will greatly increase the number of Latin American students who study in the United States and American students who study in Latin America. And I would welcome your support for this project. We launched the 100,000 Strong program in China and we have already raised more than enough money to assist in making sure we have the opportunity to meet our goal of 100,000 Americans studying in China, more Chinese students studying in America, overcoming some of the visa obstacles that, unfortunately, were quite difficult to navigate since 9/11. And I would hope we can do the same, Arturo, that we'll have 100,000 Strong in the Americas with many of you on our steering committee, focused on how we're going to do this, because we want to make it absolutely clear that this is our home, and we want to be sure that our young people are making those connections and those lifelong friends and networks of relationship.

Now, we're putting a particular focus on people-to-people connections in Cuba. From the very beginning, the Obama Administration believed that the best way to advance fundamental rights in Cuba— in fact, to advance them anywhere—is to support exchanges and constructive relationships. And there's no better ambassador for our values than a teacher or an artist or a student or a religious leader, a Cuban American who has made a new life in the United States. That's why we have eased our restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba. We could do more if we saw evidence that there was an opportunity to do so coming from the Cuban side because we want to foster these deeper connections and we want to work for the time when Cuba will enjoy its own transition to democracy, when it can look at its neighbors throughout the hemisphere and the people in Cuba will feel that they, too, are having a chance to choose their leaders, choose their professions, create their businesses, and generally take advantage of what has been a tremendous, great sweep of progress everywhere but Cuba.

So we've accomplished a great deal on all of our priorities, but there is one final point I wish to make at perhaps the risk of being less than welcome. Let's admit we face real shortcomings in the region. Now, many people say that this is the Latin American decade, and I agree. There's a lot to be proud of and a lot to look forward to.

But let's be honest; there are still weak education systems, there are still weak democratic institutions, there are still inadequate fiscal policies, there are still too few people of means paying their fair share of taxes to their government in order to support services for those who will otherwise be mired in generational poverty, and there is too much violence. If we don't face up to these challenges, we could waste this historic opportunity. But I have a lot of confidence that we will, because if one looks at what has worked in those countries that are leading the change, it's because they've made these tough decisions.

Secretary Hillary Clinton delivered these remarks in Washington, DC

Secretary Clinton. Welcome. This is a very exciting day for me, and I hope for all of you, because we are welcoming you here to the State Department on the eve of the first-ever Mexican American Leadership Initiative Conference.

Now, I have said many times before that this is a labor of love for me. I remember very well the first time I was in South Texas in 1972 to register Latino voters and I made a lifelong friend there, Raul Yzaguirre—who is now our ambassador to the Dominican Republic. And for many of you who have been part of the struggle for economic opportunity and inclusion, this is an exciting time to recognize all of the progress that has been made and to look for ways through this initiative that we can work together with our neighbors and our friends and, in many instances, family members in Mexico.

This is an independent organization, but I am proud to have been part of the initial conversation about MALI'S creation. I remember last spring talking with Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa from Mexico about the special role that ethnic communities play in the countries of their parents and grandparents here in the United States. Obviously, we know many examples of that around our country. And with one billion in trade and one million people crossing the border every single day—not to mention all of the friends and relatives who stay in constant touch—this was a very powerful force that had yet to be tapped. And so I started thinking and talking to some of you here about what we could do. Is there a model that we could perhaps look to?

And it turns out that a lot of you were thinking the same way.

So what started out as an informal discussion evolved into an informal task force and soon gained the support of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation. And I'm very grateful for that, because I think that if you look at the powerful combination of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation and now this initiative, you can see real strength. This has been something that we've discussed in the State Department. Of course, Arturo Valenzuela, our assistant secretary for the Western Hemisphere, and so many of us saw this as a great opportunity.

Now, as you define your agenda, let me just mention a couple of the issues. One, we are working to try to support Mexico in its courageous struggle against the drug traffickers. And as Jose said, we know responsibility lies on both sides of the border. It's a shared responsibility for a shared challenge. And we need to keep our border open so that people can move back and forth for all kinds of reasons, but we also have to help the Mexican Government and the Mexican people find security and justice.

So we're working together, and other countries in the hemisphere are working with us to share about best practices for prosecutors, for police officers, for judges, how to track criminals, drugs, arms, and money. So this is an important aspect of our relationship government-to-government, but we're not just about that because what we really believe is in building strong communities, communities that are able to provide opportunities for their people, particularly their young people. And we have got to deepen our relationship with civil society on both sides of the border. There's a lot of good cross-border work already happening, but we think MALI'S focus on strengthening civil society and institutions and creating opportunities for young people are exactly the right priorities, and we're very supportive of the ideas that you will be coming up with.

Now, more broadly, the State Department wants to help diaspora communities connect with countries around the world. We want to be a convener, a catalyst, and a collaborator—and we hope that MALI can be an example for other countries as well.

Secretary Hillary Clinton delivered this statement in Washington, DC

Secretary Clinton. The United States welcomes the agreement reached yesterday in Colombia by Honduran President Porfirio Lobo and former Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya. Thanks to the help of the Colombian and Venezuelan governments, this agreement paves the way for the reintegration of Honduras to the Organization of American States (OAS) and gives Honduras the opportunity to pursue national reconciliation and end its isolation from the international community.

The United States commends the Governments of Colombia and Venezuela for the initiatives and efforts they undertook that led to this agreement. The tireless commitment by other Central American countries and the Dominican Republic helped this initiative reach a successful end that will now give Honduras the opportunity to return to the OAS. We now look forward to prompt action by member countries of the OAS to allow Honduras to resume its participation.

Today is a great day for the people of Honduras and for all Hondurans around the world.

Secretary Hillary Clinton and Minister María Ángela Holguín delivered these remarks in Washington, DC

Secretary Clinton. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining me and the foreign minister. We've just had an excellent meeting that capped a day of intensive dialogue between our governments. The foreign minister and I addressed our delegations earlier, and I certainly underscored how impressed and inspired we are by Colombia's progress and eager to expand our work together on the full range of issues that we have common concerns about.

Colombia has emerged as a regional and global partner. It sits on the UN Security Council, trains police to help 16 other nations to meet their security challenges, and through the leadership of both the president and the foreign minister, has played the leading role in bringing Honduras back into the inter-American system. At home, President Santos and his government are taking bold steps to heal Colombia's wounds, redress grievances, consolidate democratic freedoms, and promote human rights. And of course, we are absolutely committed to passing the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement to open new markets and create jobs and opportunities for both of our peoples.

Since the first High Level Partnership Dialogue last October, Colombia has made significant progress on human, labor, and civil rights. And we are committed to working with Colombia as they continue their progress. We also discussed social and economic development, climate change, environmental protection, energy, education, and culture.

We had a very productive and wide-ranging dialogue, and Colombia's progress is a testament to the courage and vision of the Colombian people and their leaders. And it's also a reminder to the United States about why we sustain investments in our friends and our partners even through tight budgets and tough times.

So, Foreign Minister, thank you so much for the opportunity to work with you on these very important issues.

Minister Holguín. Thank you, Secretary Clinton. To me, to us, it's a great pleasure to be here today working at the State Department. We truly value the effort and support that the United States has shown Colombia over the course of many decades.

I believe that the success that Colombia has had in the fight against terrorism, against drug trafficking, is due to U.S. support. We have a well-trained police. We have one of the strongest military forces in the region. And today we are happy to take a second step to take drug trafficking or reduce the importance of drug trafficking and think about other issues that are important for us as well— energy, education, science and technology, environment—and to focus on these issues that are important to both of us in our relationship.

We believe that the work that both delegations have undertaken today lead us to developing a specific agenda on a number of issues that will help us further consolidate the relationship that has been strong in the past.

I want to thank Secretary Clinton for supporting Colombia's aspirations to accede to the OECD. It's a great opportunity for us to improve practices in our country, and we thank the United States for their support in this endeavor.

As Secretary Clinton said, we talked about the region, we talked about Honduras, and Colombia is very happy to have given its part to reestablishing Honduras within the organization and to do its part to strengthen democracy throughout the region.

And we talked about the issue of security, and Colombia here has cooperated greatly with Central America and the Caribbean on issues related to the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking. And as we talked before, we can continue to be great allies in helping the region, and we believe we can truly contribute to improving the situation throughout.

We thank Secretary Clinton for her support on the FTA, for support on the preferences. We are abiding by the commitments that we achieved during the April agreement, and we are happy to see that our dream that we've held for so many months is about to come into fruition.

We also talked about the Summit of the Americas. Colombia will be a host of the summit in April of 2012, and we've been talking with many countries about the organization of the summit and we have U.S. support to this end. We want to have discussions on a number of issues that join us, and we hope to have support in the region and throughout the continent, and we'll see you in Cartagena next year.

I thank you for the work today. I think this is an important step towards strengthening our relationship, a relationship that is no doubt strong already, but there is always room for improvement. Thank you very much.

Q. Thanks, Madam Secretary and Minister Holguín. You just mentioned that the U.S. is absolutely committed to the passage of the FTA. However, the FTAs—and I mean Colombia, Panama, and Korea—are all hostage of an internal dispute between Republicans and Democrats that has caused deep frustration in Colombia and also questions that come in that you were talking about. So can you tell us if you're still confident, as you say a couple months ago here, that the FTAs are—are these FTAs going to be passed this year? And a question for both: Can you comment on what's expected tomorrow on the general assembly of the OAS regarding Honduras?

Minister Holguín. On the issue of Honduras, I can say that we are convinced that Honduras will be brought back into the OAS tomorrow, and there has been negotiations on the resolution that took place last week and today. And I can say that most countries, if not all, wish to see Honduras return to the OAS and wish to see the strengthening of democracy in that country, and I can say that the only surprise that we can expect tomorrow is Honduras coming back to the organization.

Secretary Clinton. And yes, I am confident that we are going to pass the Free Trade Agreement. I hope that the people of Colombia do not lose heart in watching the activities of our Congress, because there always is a lot of rhetoric and skirmishing between the parties before they finally hit the deadline to get the work done. And so I am absolutely sure we're going to get it passed.

Q. Can you (inaudible) Honduras?

Secretary Clinton. Oh, I agree with the foreign minister. And I commend Colombia for the leadership role that it has played in enabling us to reintegrate Honduras tomorrow at the OAS.

Thank you all very much.

Secretary Hillary Clinton delivered this statement in Washington, DC

Secretary Clinton. The United States welcomes today's decision by members of the Organization of American States (OAS) to lift the suspension of Honduras' participation in the organization. This moment has been a long time coming. It is an important milestone for Honduras, for the OAS, and for the Americas.

The crisis and coup in Honduras was a test for the OAS and its ability to act swiftly and decisively to safeguard our shared democratic values. The Inter-American Democratic Charter was invoked. Honduras was suspended.

Thanks to the steadfast efforts of President Lobo and his commitment to national reconciliation, and the tireless efforts of several OAS member states, democracy was restored. This accomplishment has strengthened the OAS' ability to deal with future challenges to democracy and the threat they pose to peace and prosperity. But there is more work to be done.

A return to the OAS allows Honduras to resume its rightful place in the Inter-American system to help other countries in the hemisphere address common challenges and seize new opportunities. Honduras' government and people have the tools to improve governance, strengthen democratic institutions and safeguard human rights so that all Hondurans have the chance for a brighter future.

Secretary Hillary Clinton delivered these remarks in Montego Bay, Jamaica

Introductory Remarks Omitted

Secretary Clinton. I want to start by thanking CARICOM for your role in Haiti, and I know we have the new minister from Haiti, but I think what you did by supporting free and fair elections there was to ensure that the outcome of those elections actually reflected the will of the Haitian people. Assistant Secretary General Granderson was invaluable in his role as head of the Joint CARICOM-OAS Electoral Observation Mission. And by removing tariffs on Haitian goods, CARICOM is helping to expand economic opportunity for Haitians, which is, of course, essential to Haiti's long-term growth. The United States looks forward to working with you to find more ways to encourage private sector investment in Haiti even as we continue and deepen our development assistance to help Haitians rebuild their country.

I think our work together in Haiti shows how much we can do when we set a common agenda. Both President Obama and I are committed to our relationship and to our collaboration, and we are asking for your guidance in what areas the United States can be most helpful. I want to mention three of our highest shared priorities—citizen security, energy and climate, and economic cooperation. And I am pleased to report that we are making tangible progress in each of these areas.

Let me begin with citizen security because I have heard from all of you both in CARICOM and in bilateral settings that this is the single biggest issue facing your countries today. Your people are being subjected to relentless pressure from narco-traffickers and criminal gangs. And earlier today, I was in Guatemala for a discussion of the security situation in Central America, and we underscored the necessity of a comprehensive regional approach to these challenges so we don't merely push violence from one country to another or from one region to another.

I think if you follow what has been happening in Central America or even what is happening in West Africa, you know exactly what I mean. Because of the success in Colombia and because of the increasing capacity of the Mexican Government, the drug traffickers are squeezed. It's a classic kind of pincer movement caught between Colombia and Mexico, they are now trying to destabilize Central America.

Similarly, as we enhance our security cooperation, more and more drug traffickers are actually setting up operations in West Africa in order to get into the European market. So we launched the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative as one part of a broader regional security approach. And under the CBSI, we have worked together to identify the highest security priorities for the Caribbean, and our priorities are leading to action. Let me just give you two examples.

We have worked with the Jamaican police on fighting corruption, improving security in high-crime neighborhoods, and pursuing telemarketing fraud. We have worked with the Bahamas to train police officers on detecting firearms trafficking and begun to certify drug abuse facilities throughout the Caribbean. But at the same time, we all recognize that it's not simply enough to step up our enforcement efforts. We need to work together to attack the root causes of criminality. So we are working with a number of you to fund vocational training, internships with private companies, and other programs that create economic opportunities for young people.

Today, I am pleased to announce that even in these very difficult budget times in the United States, our country is deepening its commitment to the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative with $77 million in funding for fiscal year 2011. That is an increase of more than 70 percent over the previous year. Security is a core concern for all of us, and the United States is honored to support your efforts.

As we work to invest this new money, we need to hear from you. What is working? What isn't working? How do we achieve our priorities? How do we finally adopt formal mechanisms to coordinate maritime security efforts? I remember when I was in Barbados, lots of conversation, Maxine, about how to do maritime security across such a large space. We need to really get serious about this, put our experts together, and make sure that we progress. How do we share information together more effectively? How can we work with you to help you adopt budget models, especially in like what Kenneth said about indebtedness and other economic challenges? But how do we create an environment for long-term funding for your security? These are all issues we want your advice on because we are here to support you, but we look to you to tell us what you need the support for.

Our second area of emphasis is energy and climate. I don't need to tell the countries here that climate change may be affecting everywhere on earth, but it will have a disproportionate impact on small island nations. In 2009 to collaborate and to spark creative solutions, President Obama launched the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, so called ECPA. ECPA now consists of 40 different projects throughout the Americas focusing on everything from developing renewable energy sources to mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. And today, I am pleased to announce two new efforts under ECPA.

First, we have selected six countries, based on your submissions and your ideas, to receive grants that will support your pilot projects in efficient and renewable energy sources—solar panels to heat water, wind turbines to power irrigation systems and so much more. I want to congratulate Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines on your successful proposals. We will work closely with you to make sure that these programs produce the outcomes that you are seeking.

I'm also today announcing a new Caribbean Climate Change Adaptation Initiative. The University of the West Indies has agreed to partner with American universities to expand research on problems and solutions specific to the Caribbean and to serve as a hub to connect scientists from across the Caribbean, from the United States, or from wherever else we may find them to connect these scientists with policymakers. Our goal is to build local capacity so that you have the tools you need to meet your own challenges and even to contribute to solving regional and global climate change challenges as well.

And finally, in these introductory remarks, I want to say a word about the importance of diaspora communities. I'm a big believer, maybe because I was a senator from New York, and we have a diaspora community from every country in the world, but I am a big believer in the power of diaspora. And people of Caribbean descent have made a powerful contribution to every country in which they have settled, of course, including my own. But they are also, as we've already heard from Kenneth, a major source of support for their country of origin, particularly through remittances. But there are other ways that the diaspora community can be harnessed because that great store of talent, energy, and entrepreneurial spirit can be put to work here in the Caribbean.

To tap this potential, the State Department recently launched the International Diaspora Engagement Alliance. We call it IDEA. The alliance brings together governments, corporations, and nonprofit organizations to make it easier for diaspora communities to promote trade and investment, to start businesses, or develop other projects that will benefit their countries of origin. We have chosen the Caribbean to be the first region to demonstrate the impact of this alliance. So we are launching the Caribbean IDEA marketplace to foster collaboration between local entrepreneurs and members of the Caribbean diaspora. We hope that by working together we can create jobs and stimulate investment, and this marketplace will offer diaspora communities access to capital as well as technical assistance to help them get started if they are committed to invest in the country of origin.

And I want to thank our partners, the Inter-American Development Bank, Digicel, Scotiabank for helping us launch this innovative program. You will be hearing more about it from some of the people who are helping to make it happen, and we will be inviting more partners from the private and nonprofit sectors to join us.

So we see progress. We see progress on many fronts, but we also are very conscious of the continuing challenges that we face. And so I look forward to our discussion tonight about issues relating to the wider Caribbean as well as to CARICOM-U.S. relations. And again, I thank you for your participation and look forward to continuing our work together.

Thank you very much, Chairman.

Secretary Hillary Clinton delivered these remarks in Guatemala City, Guatemala