Bangladesh will be the first to receive funding, also, under a U.S. program that converts old debt to new funding to protect tropical forests. Bangladesh, in many ways, reminds me of Mexico. In our hemisphere, Mexico has energy resources, as Bangladesh does. Mexico is a small country, with a big neighbor, as Bangladesh has a big neighbor. I hope that Bangladesh, like Mexico has done, finds ways to trade more with her neighbors.
Regional trade is the wave of the future.
Since the North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect nearly 6 years ago, trade has more than doubled between our countries. And today, we both have some of the lowest unemployment levels anywhere in the world. It shows that regardless of size, countries that trade openly can benefit substantially. I know President Clinton would be the first to tell you that the benefits of regional trade are much greater than the economic opportunities they bring. Broader regional cooperation on other fronts often follows trade, as South Asia is finding.