Discussions between President Bachelet and President Obama reveal clear areas of convergenc

The President of the Republic of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, and the President of the United States, Barack Obama, held a working meeting in which they addressed the main aspects of bilateral relations and the community of principles and values on which these links are based.

The meeting between the Presidents began with a private conversation and was then expanded to include their teams. On the Chilean side was Foreign Minister Mariano Fernández; Minister of Finance, Andrés Velasco; Minister of Energy, Marcelo Tokman; Chilean Ambassador to the United States, José Goñi; Director for Public Policies for the Presidency, Francisco Díaz; and the International Advisor to the President, Marcos Robledo. President Obama’s team was comprised of James Steinberg, Deputy Secretary of State; Daniel Poneman, Deputy Secretary of Energy; Larry Summers, Director of the National Economic Council at the White House, (former Treasury Secretary during the Clinton Administration); Denis McDonough, National Security Council (Director for Strategic Communications for the National Security Council); Dan Restrepo, Principal Advisor for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council; and Ambassador Tom Shannon, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Department of State.

Both Presidents made references to the recent contacts that have been made both at the bilateral and multilateral level, confirming the new spirit of inter-American understanding achieved at the V Summit of the Americas.

President Obama and President Bachelet underscored the areas of convergence that exist between both governments in social policies and the emphasis that has been placed on improving education and health, with special attention given to low income sectors and the most vulnerable groups in society.

The Presidents exchanged opinions on the international situation. They agreed upon the need to redouble efforts to reduce child mortality and to improve maternal health as well as to achieve other Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015. Therefore, they made a commitment to establish a joint cooperation program together with third countries in an effort to attain these objectives, in areas to be identified and in coordination with the relevant multilateral organizations.

On international security issues, they reiterated their commitment to moving toward a more secure world, free of nuclear weapons.

Both Presidents exchanged opinions on the evolution of relations between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean and highlighted the contribution of the Organization of American States as a hemispheric forum for strengthening democracy, social development and raising the quality of life for all individuals.

In terms of regional cooperation, the Presidents emphasized the efforts made by both countries within the framework of the Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas initiative as well as through other mechanisms and in various places throughout the hemisphere on issues related to the development of administrative capacities so that States can help their own citizens, especially the most vulnerable sectors, as well as collaboration between their organizations on health, education and security issues.

The Presidents made reference to the effects of the international financial crisis, repercussions for the countries of the hemisphere and the responses by each State to the crisis. They agreed on the need to implement efforts that promote economic recovery in the region in the shortest time possible.

They also agreed on the need to redouble efforts at achieving the fundamental objectives of the Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In the context of the Initiative on Energy and Climate Change, they stressed the recent Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation and Technology in Clean Energy. The primary objective of the MoU is to develop energy efficiency and sources of clean, sustainable and renewable energies, stressing the importance of these issues on promoting diversity and energy security, in improving the environment and economic development.

Similarly, they talked about the importance of working together on health issues in the region, highlighting the signing of a Letter of Intent on mutual collaboration in the areas of research and cancer prevention and treatment in Latin America.

Statements to the Press

President Bachelet, at a press conference, declared that “I have had an excellent meeting with President Obama, in which we have once again reaffirmed a vast number of viewpoints, values and principles in which we believe and that allow us to look to the future with a great deal of hope.”

She added that “we are going to keep working together, to continue providing our help in the region and also to act as a bridge for many other countries where specific technical support is needed in a number of areas.”

President Bachelet took the opportunity to thank President Obama for his remarks, made today, which were “a public recognition of the political and economic decision to move forward on counter-cyclical measures, to develop fiscal stimulus plans to address the financial crisis, which have resulted in Chile being well prepared.” President Bachelet said that “I believe that it is good for Chile to hear it, because when we say it, it seems that we are not quite convinced” and “this makes us happy, we know that we have been doing things well, but to be recognized internationally is without a doubt a tremendous achievement for our country.”

The Head of State emphasized that “we are pleased to see the level of importance that President Obama has placed on the region, and in particular, on Chile, a country that is perceived as a nation that knows how to do things well and that can continue to develop, making difficult decisions, but decisions that have placed us in a good position to face the crisis.”

President Bachelet stated that during this afternoon an agreement was signed on “the generation of free energies, which in addition to being a response to our energy needs, is a response to the problem of climate change, which is also important to us” and therefore, “we will come out of the crisis better equipped to face climate change.”

To this end, an Agreement with the National Energy Commission was signed, “to develop research and projects linked to solar energy and to move forward on other types of energy” in addition to “the support of the United States for the renewable energy center that we will be developing in Chile.”

In the area of health, President Bachelet remarked that last week an agreement was signed between the Chilean Under Secretary for Public Health, Jeannette Vega and the national health institutions in the United States for cancer research and every aspect related to the AH1N1 influenza. She commented that “the Chilean experience will be of great value to the United States,” in finding more appropriate treatments and a better response to this virus that has caused a number of deaths around the world.

Furthermore, she reported that work will continue “on triangular cooperation with other countries, with the understanding that problems in Latin America are closely linked to poverty, health needs, irrigation, and development and that this is where Chile has know-how, significant capabilities that it can share, and the United States is also interested in this.”

The President described to President Obama “the work we are carrying out in the region, fighting to achieve two of the Millennium Goals -4 and 5 which are related to mother-child mortality-and he believes that the United States will be able to collaborate on improving the quality of life for all the citizens in our region through a series of similar programs.”

The President confirmed that during the meeting “we examined, with President Obama, the positive outcome from Trinidad and” and the excellent presence and image that the U.S. President made on all of the Latin American and Caribbean Heads of State “and the need to continue working together to strengthen this cooperative relationship based on shared interests.”

Finally, the Head of State noted that President Obama expressed his interest “in visiting the region as soon as possible and he has told me of his desire to do it, hopefully, while I am still in office” and even though he cannot make a commitment at this very moment, he will do “all that he can to make it happen.”

Photo: www.presidencia.cl