Secretary Clinton's Remarks With Peruvian President Alan Garcia Perez

Remarks With Peruvian President Alan Garcia Perez

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Presidential Palace

Lima, Peru

June 7, 2010

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PRESIDENT GARCIA: (Via interpreter) Ladies and gentlemen of the press, we would like to welcome the Secretary of State, Madam Hillary Clinton. We are very honored by her presence here and her visit is certainly proof that the U.S. is a friend to Peru. We are very excited by having the Secretary of State here for many reasons; first of all because she is a government official at the highest level from the United States, but beyond that because she is a woman, a woman who represents modernity, a woman who has fought a virtuous struggle for women’s rights for a very long time.
I remember listening to her in Beijing, where I heard her say that the struggle for human rights is a struggle for women’s rights, and that the struggle for women’s rights is also a struggle for human rights. This is a phrase that shows us her dedication to the issue of women and other vulnerable populations. We know of the political history and her long struggle to achieve health care reform in the United States, a struggle that at times was misunderstood. However, it was thanks to those initial efforts that have been now been realized by President Obama that those important reforms were carried out.

So we know that she has a calling to serve women, to serve the poor, to serve the people. And that is why we are very happy to have her here to show that this is – her presence here shows that our friendship will continue our friendship with Peru and the United States. I hope then that her presence ratifies the importance of this event here at the General Assembly.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first let me thank the president for his very kind hospitality today. This is the second meeting that I have participated in with the president. The first was about a week ago in the Oval Office with President Obama, and today here in this beautiful building. At both meetings, we all talked so much that they ran way over time, because indeed, there is so much that the United States and Peru both care about and are working to achieve.
The United States applauds the progress in Peru toward economic inclusion, the reduction of poverty, and greater opportunity for the Peruvian people. The United States and Peru are working together to protect the environment, to move toward more sources of renewable independent energy to fuel the economy here in Peru. The United States and Peru are working together to provide security for people. And as President Garcia has discussed, that is security in their homes, on their streets, from crime, from drug traffickers and other threats. President Obama greatly appreciates the Peruvian Government’s support for nonproliferation, especially to send a message of unity to Iran and North Korea that their actions pose a threat to the peace and stability of the world community.
So although this is my first trip to Peru, I know it will not be my last. And I hope in my return visits to continue to see progress that is reflected in the improved lives of the people, the opportunities for children to fulfill their God-given potentials by having access to education and healthcare, the opportunity for hardworking, small businesses to access credit so that they can grow and create jobs, and to see a country that is truly on the path of destiny.

So again, I thank the president for his warm hospitality. I apologize for keeping him so late that he was behind in his schedule. And now I have to depart in order to join the OAS meeting and participate in the discussions there. But thank you again for this very warm welcome to Peru.