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CNN Live At Daybreak

President Fox Having Breakfast With House Republican Leaders

Aired September 07, 2001 - 07:07   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Moving on to Mexican President Vicente Fox. He's headed to breakfast with House Republican leaders in the next hour. It's coming at the end of a state visit that included talks over migration, illegal immigrants and trade.

CNN White House correspondent Major Garrett has been following his visit -- good morning, Major.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra.

You know, the really fascinating component of President Fox's state visit to the United States has been the candor about how bad relations have been between the United States and Mexico until very recently. And President Fox put a lot of that candor on the table in his speech to Congress yesterday where he said under the old government, the government that he toppled in his ground breaking election a year and a half ago in Mexico, the Mexican government was beset by corruption. It wasn't working hard on fighting drugs. It wasn't a good partner with the United States. He told members of Congress I will be a good partner to the United States on these and many other issues, but first you need to invest in me some of the trust you wisely did not extend to the previous government in Mexico.

President Bush has echoed those sentiments throughout the state visit, saying that there is a historic opportunity between these two countries. He said so again on the South Lawn in a joint statement between the two leaders. He said that he hopes that it will resolve issues dealing with legal and illegal immigration, also to continue economic ties between the two countries which have prospered dramatically since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Then the two presidents flew to Toledo, Ohio to talk about free trade and this historic opportunity and in that speech, President Bush said it was time to end the era of suspicion between these two nations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've been discussing common opportunities and common problems for months and as a result our relationship has never been better and never been stronger. I know there are some in this world and our country who want to build walls between Mexico and the United States. I want to remind people fearful people build walls. Confident people tear them down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GARRETT: Confident people tear them down, a message not only to the American public, but to members of the president's own party. Some Republicans still a bit reluctant to endorse new ways of thinking about the immigration question, the president trying to get them to do just exactly that. And President Fox in his remarks in Toledo said this country, America, can now trust this new Mexican leadership.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. VICENTE FOX, MEXICO: Trust should be the foundation of our relationship. That trust will be the cornerstone of increasing the relationship between the United States and Mexico. And that based on trust, we can work better for solving with efficiency, with talent, our mutual challenges that we face on this 21st century.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GARRETT: Kyra, throughout this state visit, the administration officials have made clear that in the past when U.S. and Mexican officials got together, they were really pro forma meetings. They weren't really deep and substantive conversations about resolving problems. They say that's changed and they say that brings hope not only to Mexico, but to the United States -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Major Garrett live at the White House. Thanks, Major.

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