William R. Richardson: “Today the new President of Mexico, Ernesto Zedillo, is in town meeting with our President and the bipartisan…”

“Today the new President of Mexico, Ernesto Zedillo, is in town meeting with our President and the bipartisan congressional leadership. Mr. Speaker, Mexico is a good friend, and it has had some tough times, and it is important that we show support to the new government and the new President of Mexico. Last week the President of Mexico paid back $700 million of Mexico's debt ahead of schedule. As a good neighbor should, the United States helped Mexico out of a severe financial crisis with a loan of $20 billion. Among our top priority goals in United States-Mexico relations are to disrupt and defeat the narcotrafficking that so negatively affects both of our countries and to build the American economy by helping United States business do business with Mexico. Mr. Speaker, it is important to welcome the new President of Mexico, to say that we are friends, that we back each other, that we need each other, that the problems of immigration and drugs and many other foreign policy issues and our economic ties are strong and should become stronger.”