Remarks by The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs

February 23, 2007
Ottawa, ON

I am very pleased to be here with my dear colleagues, Secretary Rice and Secretary Espinosa, and our other colleagues here in Ottawa today on this balmy Ottawa afternoon. I think it's fitting that, for the first time the three of us would meet under the same roof, it's in the context of the SPP, the Security and Prosperity Partnership. It's all about cooperation amongst our neighbours, and that is what we have sought to do today is to further that cooperation.

The main line of our discussions has been the promotion of an improvement in the cooperation environment and a greater knowledge of the ties that join us. As governments and citizens on the same continent, we are continuing this common thread in our discussions as to how we promote greater understanding and greater appreciation for what binds us together. As governments and citizens on a shared continent, we all recognize the unique relationship that Canada, Mexico and the United States enjoy, and we share the objective of making North America the most desirable place to live, the safest place to work, to raise a family, and to invest in the entire world. It's for practical reasons that we want to maximize the benefits that flow to the citizens of all three countries.

Our discussions today also touched upon what's happening elsewhere in the hemisphere. We talked about the contribution that we make as democratic governments with market-based economies. We talked about how we can address common challenges and achieve common goals.

Finally, we talked about global issues, and we talked about how we must continue to share this cooperation and sense of working together in areas and on issues that have common cause, and offering ways in which we can collectively make a contribution to the world.

Thank you.