Speeches

President George W. Bush, speaking at the COA’s annual Washington Conference on the Americas, delivered a major policy speech on the U.S. role in the Western Hemisphere. “The foundation of a good foreign policy is good relations with your neighbors,” said the president, outlining priorities issues for U.S.-Latin American relations.

Speaking at the COA's Washington Conference on the Americas, Secretary Rice underscored that there has “never been a time in modern history” when the U.S. relationship with the hemisphere has been so critical. U.S. friendship is not contingent upon any ideological position; rather, the administration is committed to working with countries in advancing key development issues.

AS/COA hosted a conversation with Asst. Secretary Thomas A. Shannon, who outlined U.S. policy for the Americas. Read a transcript of his remarks.

Speaking at our Latin American Cities Conference in Mexico City, AS/COA President and CEO Susan Segal highlighted (en español) the strong and multifaceted relationships between Mexico and the U.S. reflected on NAFTA.

Speaking at our first Latin American Cities Conference in Panama City, AS/COA President and CEO Susan Segal’s opening remarks (en español) highlighted Panama's increasingly important role in the global economy

Speaking at AS/COA's North American launch of the Vance Center's Pro Bono Declaration for the Americas, Brazilian Justice Luiz Fux recommended that beyond pro bono work—which is limited in Brazil because the government provides public defenders to those who can’t afford lawyers—the justice system needs to be accessible to every citizen through improved locations, lower costs, and by replacing legalese with simple talk.

Speaking at the 2008 APEC Road Show event in AS/COA New York, Ambassador Juan Carlos Capuñay talks about today's economic relations between Asia-Pacific countries in the age of globalization.