Bill Clinton: “Well, let me say, this is our first conversation face to face. I don't want to dwell on the problems. The opportunities…”

“Well, let me say, this is our first conversation face to face. I don't want to dwell on the problems. The opportunities overwhelm the problems. And I'm sure we'll work through the problems. Prime Minister Mulroney. Maybe I could just say, Mr. President, in regard to that, that our total trade, all in, is in Canadian dollars about $275 billion a year. It dwarfs anything that the United States has anywhere in the world. But more importantly, at the end of the year when you factor everything in, from interest payments to dividends, our trade is in rough balance. It is extraordinary that the largest trading relationship between two nations in history is in rough balance at the end of the year, which means that with the imperfections that we have, that we've got a pretty good system that is self-governing. And from time to time, the President and the Prime Minister of Canada have to intervene to make sure that this really remarkably productive relationship with both countries is preserved and strengthened. That's what President Clinton did. He was selling the free trade agreement when he was Governor of Arkansas throughout the United States. So I'm very encouraged by his attitudes and his record in regard to developing world trade.”