Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

Interview With President Vicente Fox of Mexico

Aired November 10, 2001 - 15:29   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: At the United Nations meeting in New York, we just heard Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf speak, but earlier today, Mexican President Vicente Fox addressed the General Assembly, and he has been kind enough to stay with us through that speech and speak with us this hour. Thanks for being with us, president.

VICENTE FOX, PRESIDENT OF MEXICO: It's a pleasure. Here we are. How are you?

CALLAWAY: I'm fine, thank you for asking. First, let me ask you about the mood there at the U.N. General Assembly meeting in light of the war that's ongoing. What has it been like there the last couple of days?

FOX: Well, it's been a reconfirmation of the unity of nations in the world in this fight against terrorism, but at the same time we are hearing at this meeting new ideas, and we are also listening that most countries are coming back to their regular bilateral or multilateral agendas that have to do with regional problems or have to do with poverty, exclusion, or have to do with promoting our economies back to growth, because the impact of September the 11th is really showing now its profound effect of reducing growth in most of the economies in the world, increasing unemployment, increasing poverty. So we must move with higher speed ahead to recuperate, specifically the processes of sustainable development.

CALLAWAY: And what is your reaction to I know you were just able to hear Pervez Musharraf speak there, a lot of people waiting to hear what he had to say, he is in a tense situation. Your reaction to his comments today?

FOX: Well, number one, about his situation, I think he's conducting the situation in Pakistan on a very positive and exciting way. In the way, he not only is also committed on the fight against terrorism as a nation but at the same time, the humanitarian position of holding and hosting all those millions of Afghans that have crossed the border, and at the same time requesting support from everybody so that food, medicine and all necessary aspects that are needed be covered.

And finally, that he is already thinking same as we heard this morning from President Bush on the next stage, what should be coming later, and it has to be reconstructing the country, Afghan, making sure that they come back to stand on their feet with dignity, that they have a government that really is democratic and representative and that they can provide all of their people and their families with opportunities to develop.

CALLAWAY: President Fox, President Bush has made clear his appreciation of your support since September 11. How have U.S.-Mexico relations changed at all since September 11?

FOX: Well, it has not changed, but only to the better and to the more profound commitment of the relationship. And we are working on a minute-to-minute, day-to-day, week-to-week on different aspects that have to do with the fight against terrorism in the border, in customs, in migration. We exchange information by the day related to intelligence information. We work together every day on the money that could be related to terrorism. We have already frozen some accounts in Mexico that are related to the list that was developed in the States. So, it's an everyday work that is being very successful up to now.

CALLAWAY: And president, we are running out of time, but I would like to find out about the meeting that was postponed after September 11 on migration between Mexico and U.S. officials that's now set for November 20. What do you hope to see accomplished there?

FOX: Well, it's a pleasure, really, that we are coming back to our bilateral agenda. We plan to accomplish what we have as an objective on our former meetings. We will take the agenda from where we left it before September the 11th and carry on with it, which basically is the recognition of the legal status of the Mexican migrants that are in the United States working, contributing to the growth of the economy here in the States, and so that they are protected in every single one of their rights as workers, as citizens, and that they have the free access to go back to Mexico, visit their families and come back to United States.

I think that the migration agenda has not changed at all. On the long-term, we have to find real solutions to this issue.

CALLAWAY: All right. President Vicente Fox, thank you very much for staying with us today and joining us at this hour. Thank you very much.

FOX: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com