Remarks With President of the Republic of Peru Alan Garcia After Their Meeting

SECRETARY RICE: I want to thank President Garcia very much for receiving me here at this wonderful home of the Ambassador. We have had a broad discussion of U.S.-Peruvian relations. Peru is a very great friend of the United States, an important strategic ally in the region and in the world. We talked especially about the importance of the economic development and growth for Peru and the role that a Free Trade Agreement can play. The United States is absolutely committed to the passage of the Free Trade Agreement with Peru because we believe that this will be good for the people of Peru, good for the people of the United States and very good for the region. And I wanted to assure the President as President Bush assured him earlier that this is a very high priority for the United States and that we will work very hard for the passage of the agreement.