THE WORK OF A HEMISPHERE

WASHINGTON -- Working with our friends in the Americas is one of the
first and highest priorities of President Bush's administration. If our
neighbors are democratic and law-abiding, open to trade, and willing to
cooperate with us on improving the environment, fighting drugs and
stopping disease, we can make a vital difference in the life of every
American. With this in mind, President Bush has already started to
bolster our relationships in this hemisphere. He has met with the
leaders of Canada, Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, Brazil and Chile and
meets today with Fernando de la Rua, president of Argentina. Tomorrow,
when he travels to Canada to attend the Third Summit of the Americas --
a gathering of 34 democratically elected heads of state -- he will
promote this vision of a better life for all who live in the region.

At the summit, the leaders will set a common agenda of how our
democracies can safeguard human rights as they build tighter economic
bonds through free trade. The nations that believe in this vision should
be proactive in defending these principles -- and will be proactive in
Quebec.

Much has been accomplished since the first Summit of the Americas in
Miami in 1994. At the past two summits, leaders promoted and defended
the growth of democracy in the hemisphere. They expanded the rule of law
by supporting the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption. They
helped protect labor rights, advance the status of women and promote
sustainable development.

These regular meetings have also provided a framework for cooperation in
many other areas, so that ministers of trade, justice, finance, labor,
environment, transportation and energy now meet regularly to tackle the
problems we all face and identify ways in which we can help each other.
These advances, often out of the public limelight, have strengthened our
relationships with our neighbors and improved the lives of all.

Perhaps the best known achievement of the Summit of the Americas is the
launching of the negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement of the
Americas. We will be able to sell American goods, technology and
services without obstacles or restrictions within a single market of
over 800 million people, with a combined income of more than $11
trillion, stretching from the Arctic to Cape Horn. President Bush looks
forward to re-energizing the negotiations in Quebec.

Similarly, the president will give a further boost to democracy and rule
of law, for we have seen in recent years that while democracy may be
widespread, in many countries its institutions are fragile. We owe it to
those committed to democracy to help protect their commitment. A
highlight of the summit will be the affirmation that only democracies
can participate in the Summit of the Americas and reap all its benefits.
In addition, our leaders will decide on policies to make governments
more open to their people, to fight the corruption that undermines
societies and business, and more generally to promote good governance at
all levels.

Free trade and freedom work together to make life better and our
neighborhood safer. But to take advantage of this opportunity, people
need skills and education. Thus, the leaders will reaffirm their
commitment to improve education systems, increase access to quality
education, improve teacher training and expand the use of modern
information technology. From the northernmost reaches of Canada to the
southern tip of Chile, our children and our neighbors' children will all
need to be able to use the latest tools and the best technologies to
work together and succeed in the globalized world of the new century.

At the Quebec summit, the president will also support initiatives to
help nations prepare for natural disasters -- like the hurricanes,
mudslides and earthquakes we have all watched with concern in countries
next door -- and to improve health care, strengthen civic groups,
promote responsible practices by corporations and protect the
environment.

President Bush and I are optimistic about the future for Americans here
at home and in our larger neighborhood. At the summit, we will work with
other nations to obtain the benefits of free trade, freedom and
cooperation. As the president said during his first visit to the State
Department, just before his first foreign trip -- to Mexico -- we will
"work with our neighbors to build a Western Hemisphere of freedom and
prosperity -- a hemisphere bound together by shared ideals and free
trade." In Quebec, he and the other leaders will continue to bring the
benefits of this vision home to the people of the Americas.