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CNN Live Saturday
Bush Arrives in Mexico to Meet With Fox
Aired October 26, 2002 - 13:11 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush has arrived in Mexico for talks with President Vicente Fox. Iraq is at the top of their agenda. Mr. Fox is hosting a 21-nation summit of Asian Pacific leaders. And CNN's Kelly Wallace is traveling with the president in Mexico. Hi, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, hello, Heidi. Iraq and North Korea, those are the two subjects likely to dominate President Bush's discussions here at this annual economic summit in Mexico. The president trying to do two things. Number one, build support for a tough new U.N. resolution dealing with Saddam Hussein, and then, number two, trying to come up with a strategy to put pressure on North Korea after that country admitted earlier this month it has an active nuclear weapons program.
Now, Mr. Bush's first order of business upon arriving here in Los Cabos: Sitting down and having a one-on-one meeting with President Vicente Fox of Mexico. The two men at this very hour talking a bit and answering some questions from reporters.
Relations between two countries a bit strained. President Fox, a little frustrated with the pace of immigration reform. Mexico is also skeptical about this U.S. proposal for the U.N. resolution calling on Iraq to disarm or face serious consequences. Mexico happens to be a member of the U.N. Security Council, so President Bush using this meeting, trying to get the support of his Mexican counterpart.
Now, later, the president will host a meeting with South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung, and Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi. President Kim met with President Fox here in Mexico yesterday. And senior officials say the goal here will be trying to come up with a strong statement calling on North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. U.S. officials trying to put the maximum diplomatic and economic and political pressure on Pyongyang. The goal, according to one senior aide, is first to isolate North Korea and let them know these actions are not cost-free.
Later in the day, the president will have another important meeting. He meets with President Megawati of Indonesia. It will be the first meeting between the two leaders since those deadly bombings in Bali. And Mr. Bush is likely to express some frustration, some concern that the Indonesian government has been slow to crack down on terrorism inside that country.
So a busy day. Lots of meetings. Again, Iraq, North Korea and the war on terror likely to dominate. Heidi, back to you. COLLINS: Long agenda. Kelly Wallace from Mexico today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 26, 2002 - 13:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush has arrived in Mexico for talks with President Vicente Fox. Iraq is at the top of their agenda. Mr. Fox is hosting a 21-nation summit of Asian Pacific leaders. And CNN's Kelly Wallace is traveling with the president in Mexico. Hi, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, hello, Heidi. Iraq and North Korea, those are the two subjects likely to dominate President Bush's discussions here at this annual economic summit in Mexico. The president trying to do two things. Number one, build support for a tough new U.N. resolution dealing with Saddam Hussein, and then, number two, trying to come up with a strategy to put pressure on North Korea after that country admitted earlier this month it has an active nuclear weapons program.
Now, Mr. Bush's first order of business upon arriving here in Los Cabos: Sitting down and having a one-on-one meeting with President Vicente Fox of Mexico. The two men at this very hour talking a bit and answering some questions from reporters.
Relations between two countries a bit strained. President Fox, a little frustrated with the pace of immigration reform. Mexico is also skeptical about this U.S. proposal for the U.N. resolution calling on Iraq to disarm or face serious consequences. Mexico happens to be a member of the U.N. Security Council, so President Bush using this meeting, trying to get the support of his Mexican counterpart.
Now, later, the president will host a meeting with South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung, and Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi. President Kim met with President Fox here in Mexico yesterday. And senior officials say the goal here will be trying to come up with a strong statement calling on North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. U.S. officials trying to put the maximum diplomatic and economic and political pressure on Pyongyang. The goal, according to one senior aide, is first to isolate North Korea and let them know these actions are not cost-free.
Later in the day, the president will have another important meeting. He meets with President Megawati of Indonesia. It will be the first meeting between the two leaders since those deadly bombings in Bali. And Mr. Bush is likely to express some frustration, some concern that the Indonesian government has been slow to crack down on terrorism inside that country.
So a busy day. Lots of meetings. Again, Iraq, North Korea and the war on terror likely to dominate. Heidi, back to you. COLLINS: Long agenda. Kelly Wallace from Mexico today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
