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American Morning

Mexico/U.S. State Visit About to Get Underway

Aired September 05, 2001 - 09:07   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Today, President Bush hosts his first state visit. Mexican President Vicente Fox is scheduled to arrive at the White House in just about an hour.

Our White House correspondent Major Garrett is live right now with the significance of this visit and what's on the agenda. Good morning, Major?

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon. The significance is the Really symbolism of it. The first state visit of this new Bush presidency, not with Great Britain, not with France, not with Germany, traditional, strong European allies of the United States. But no, Mexico, neighbor just to the south.

President Bush said in an interview yesterday that one of the fundamentals of his international policy will be to be a very good neighbor, and to make sure the neighborhood the United States lives in is in the best condition possible. And toward that end he brings Vicente Fox, invites him here, and his wife Marta to the White House for a state visit.

All of the military honors will greet the Mexican president as he arrives here on the south lawn of the White House in just about an hour. Then he will have an oval office meeting with the president. There will be joint cabinet meeting between the president's cabinet and Mr. Fox's cabinet.

Mr. Fox arrived at Andrews Air Force Base just a little while ago, making his way here to the White House now. Then, later on in the day, President Fox will meet with Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, and some other business leaders. A very full agenda today.

Also tomorrow, he will address a joint session of Congress. Then the two presidents will fly to Toledo, Ohio, to talk about the benefits of trade between the two countries. Of course, the North American Free Trade Agreement has increased trade between the two countries dramatically, moving Mexico into the top tier of U.S. trading partners. Leon.

HARRIS: Major, is this trip expected to produce anything concrete, any concrete agreements to be signed, or anything like that?

GARRETT: Well, there will be some announcements, there will be some general principles laid down on the issue of immigration. But this visit will not achieve the breakthrough on that very difficult issue that both presidents hoped and thought possible several months ago.

The idea of blanket amnesty for the estimated three million undocumented Mexican workers in America met very stiff resistance on Capitol Hill. The president has pulled back from that. Mexico's President Fox has also said this could be a four or six-year process. Most of this visit is going to be about the symbolism of this warm relationship between the two countries.

And don't forget, there is also a tremendous political, domestic- political component to this visit as well. President Bush will be telling Hispanic-American voters, many of whom supported Al Gore in sizable numbers, this is a new Republican administration. I am reaching out not only to the president of Mexico, but to you with this outreach, having the first state visit with the Mexican president. Leon.

HARRIS: Thank you very much, Major Garrett. That visit gets under way in about an hour. We'll go back to you then.

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