Pelosi Remarks Before Meeting With President Zapatero of Spain

Washington, D.C. - Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a brief press availability this morning with President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of Spain prior to their meeting in the Capitol. Below are their remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Good morning, it is a privilege indeed to welcome the President of the government of Spain once again to the Capitol of the United States.  Spain and the United States have shared values like democracy, justice and prosperity.

We all watched with interest the President's address to the United Nations a week or so ago, where he talked about peace in the world -- whether it's in the Middle East or Afghanistan or Pakistan.  He was talking about addressing the issue of climate change, addressing the global recession, and alleviating poverty throughout the world, these and many other issues.

I look forward to hearing from the President, his views on innovation and how that can help us address the issue of creation of jobs, as well as climate change issues, and also how we, again, alleviate poverty, eradicate disease and make the world a better place -- issues on which the United States and Spain can work very cooperatively.

Acknowledging the important speech that the President made to the U.N. and with great respect and admiration, it is now my pleasure to introduce the President of the government of Spain, President Zapatero.

President Zapatero.  Thank you very much. I would like to express how pleased I am to be here, and I would like to thank the Speaker of the House of Representatives for her hospitality.  I'm sure that we can work a lot in promoting our work together, our common values, and also all the work we can do jointly between our two friends.

Peace, well-being of millions and millions of people around the world.  Also, we are a generation that needs to care for our nature and our future, and therefore cooperation between two democracies such as Spain and the United States, between two developed countries, can do a lot to help millions and millions of people around the world have a better life.

Now that we are coming out of this extremely serious economic crisis, the stronger nations of the world pledge a new financial order.  We pledge greater justice and balance socially around the world.  We are also for creating new jobs, but in a new way, through sustainable development, through innovation, through talent, and all of this will make it possible for us to continue and make a better world.

It would be most desirable and I think possible for us, in the 21st century, to reduce conflict around the world in order to have greater peace and influence, which is terribly important to us in the future, therefore, to reduce conflict in the Middle East.  On peace also, the reduction of nuclear weapons and also the eradication of dramatic and extreme terrorism, and also cooperation on specific nations, which are serious hot spots right now such as Pakistan and Afghanistan, which can contribute to all these.

Here we are today in the House of Representatives, and I would like to use this opportunity to recall the Founding Fathers who created this great nation with strength -- with rising to the challenge of difficult times.  As now, also, we are again in a similar situation and therefore I'm here and to bear witness at the House of Representatives in front of the Speaker of the House recalling this image and now is the time in which we have to do the same, we have to be capable of rising to the challenge.

Thank you.

Speaker Pelosi.  Thank you.