Transcript - Remarks: Joe Biden Holds a Bilat with Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico - January 9, 2023 | Factba.se

Joe Biden

00:00:00 - 00:00:15 ()

Well, Mr. Prime Minister, it's great to see you here. When we talked at the G20, we talked about the need for us as partners to continue not only to stay partners, but to increase our coordination. And that's something that -- that we're going to do.

Joe Biden

00:00:15 - 00:00:31 ()

I think your phrase was: "When we work together, we can achieve great things." And I believe that. I know the American press is tired of hearing me say this, but I'm optimistic. I'm optimistic about the future and the near term. And it's going to be hard, but there's a lot we can do together.

Joe Biden

00:00:31 - 00:00:48 ()

And the fact is we've been partners and friends. We're NATO partners. We're involved in the -- the North American Leaders' Summit. Today, we're going to be going over and seeing our -- our counterpart, the President of Mexico.

Joe Biden

00:00:48 - 00:00:59 ()

But I think what we should be doing and we are doing is demonstrating the unlimited economic potential that we have when we work together and -- in the hemisphere, and to help the entire hemisphere.

Joe Biden

00:00:59 - 00:01:11 ()

And there's a lot we're going to be talking about, including clean energy. We should be the clean energy powerhouse of the world. And that's not hyperbole; I genuinely mean that.

Joe Biden

00:01:11 - 00:01:31 ()

And we're also in a situation where we're in the process at home -- and you are as well, and we've talked about it -- of strengthening our supply chains so that no one can arbitrarily hold us up or a pandemic in Asia cause us to not have access to critical elements that we need to do everything from build automobiles to so many other things.

Joe Biden

00:01:31 - 00:01:49 ()

And, together, I think we're achieving some really significant things. Today, we're going to discuss how we can try to help stabilize Haiti and how we can deal with migration and, at the same time, bolster our national security.

Joe Biden

00:01:49 - 00:01:57 ()

So, I want to thank you again. You've always been there. Whenever I've called, you've picked up the phone. Obviously, it's the same here.

Joe Biden

00:01:57 - 00:02:21 ()

I don't think we have -- as I told one foreign leader who was with a different perspective than -- than you and I have on world peace -- and I said to him -- I said, "Well, I'm lucky. I got Canada to the north and Mexico to the south and two oceans on either side. You've got... " -- and then I described his circumstance. And he just looked at me like "Ooh." [Laughter]

Joe Biden

00:02:21 - 00:02:26 ()

But it's true -- we got to make the most of it. And so, thank you for everything.

Justin Trudeau

00:02:26 - 00:02:32 ()

Thank you, Joe. It's so good to be able to -- to spend a little time with you here on -- on some more local issues.

Justin Trudeau

00:02:32 - 00:02:51 ()

You and I have been working so closely on significant global issues, whether it's the pressures of China and Russia, and Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, and the need to continue to stand up strong for democracy, for the rule of law, for -- for opportunities and inclusive economic growth around the world.

Justin Trudeau

00:02:51 - 00:02:57 ()

But, as you say, there are tremendous things that we can build on here at home.

Justin Trudeau

00:02:57 - 00:03:27 ()

North America is the largest free-trading bloc in the world, larger even than the European Union. We have a tremendous amount to contribute to the world in goods and services but also in technologies and solutions that the world really needs. And our capacity to work together has brought us to places of extraordinary success. But at a time of disruption around the world, a time of very real challenges, we can and must be doing even more.

Justin Trudeau

00:03:27 - 00:04:05 ()

So I'm really pleased with all the work that our folks have been doing over the past many months and years on aligning or coordinating so that we're leading the way on the -- on the -- the net-zero transition we all have to do while at the same time ensuring that individual Canadians and Americans and Mexicans and others around the world can see themselves in the future in an optimistic way and understand that, yes, we're at a time of challenges and strife, but, you're right, there's a lot of reasons to be optimistic, especially for those of us in our countries.

Justin Trudeau

00:04:05 - 00:04:25 ()

But it's going to take a lot of work, something that neither you nor I nor mostly our citizens have ever been afraid of. Rolling up our sleeves and building that better future and those better communities is absolutely essential.

Justin Trudeau

00:04:25 - 00:04:58 ()

So, as we talk about issues, whether it's Haiti, whether it's some of the challenges in South America, whether we talk about critical minerals and energy and how we're going to continue to move forward to create those efficient and resilient supply and value chains that we need, there's a lot that we're going to be able to do together.

Justin Trudeau

00:04:58 - 00:04:58 ()

[Repeats statement in French]

Joe Biden

00:04:58 - 00:05:06 ()

Every time you end like that, I think to myself, "I should have spent more time when I was in college." [Laughter] I took French for years, but I never –

Joe Biden

00:05:06 - 00:05:08 ()

Anyway, thank you.