Remarks with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera Echenique

Remarks with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera Echenique Before Their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry
Secretary of State

Ben Franklin Room

Washington, DC

June 3, 2013

SECRETARY KERRY: (In progress) consolidated democracy, and deeply cooperative on any number of issues, not just in Latin America but on a global basis. And we are very appreciative of the progress that you make on technology, science, on some security issues. But particularly we are now engaged in the discussions about the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Chile sharing with the United States a Pacific outlook can play a very significant role with respect to global business standards and the global economy.

So we welcome the President here and look forward to a good discussion over lunch.

Mr. President.

PRESIDENT PINERA: Thank you very much. Well, we share with the U.S. the most important thing which are values, basic traditions. We share the commitment to democracy, human rights, rule of law. But beyond that, we have so many things in common.

We are working right now in the Trans-Pacific Partnership and we have a commitment to make good progress before the next APEC meeting. And that will become the largest free-trade zone in the world, and we are collaborating and we are very much committed to that.

But on top of that, I want to remind you, Secretary of State, that we have just signed a special strategic alliance with your state of Massachusetts. And we are very, very interested and looking forward, because this strategic alliance is working on very important areas for both countries, like science, technology, energy. So we are very enthusiastic, and the relationship between the U.S. and Chile are on very, very good grounds.

SECRETARY KERRY: Excellent. Thank you, Mr. President. Come in and have something to eat.

PRESIDENT PINERA: Of course.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, sir. Thank you very much.

ENDS

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