free press, freedom of expression, and a vibrant civil society are critical elements of democratic governance.

The peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy, and our governments have an obligation to promote and defend it.

Democracy and security are fundamentally linked to the strength of institutions, particularly the judiciary and the police.

Iran's presence in the hemisphere is neither positive nor benign.

We condemn actions that limit freedom of expression or weaken institutions of democratic governance.

Our foreign policy is also about opportunities for the United States in engaging with the world.

It is the most sophisticated products that the United States excels in producing and exports worldwide.

My bottom line is, we need to create more American jobs, and if we can bring funds from abroad that will create more American jobs, that is what I favor.

The opportunities are immense. Already, more than 50 million Americans are employed by firms that engage in international trade.

We must be out there in as many ways as possible and at every hour of every day.

The guilty verdict in the second trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev raises serious questions about the apparent selective application of the law.

Historically, the only way the U.S. government has ever enticed a foreign government to open its market to American exports is by negotiating free trade agreements.

The chamber strongly supports allowing repatriation of those funds, which was done several years ago successfully and we think it should be done again.

The Russian Government cannot nurture a modern economy without also developing an independent judiciary that serves as an instrument for furthering economic growth.

My prediction is that this will strengthen our cooperation on these kinds of issues.

I hope that trade deficit will narrow during my tenure, if I am confirmed.

We consider the Secretary's intervention on this subject at the ARF last July to have been successful.

We hope to continue that trend.