New Horizons 2006
March 16, 2006

I am proud and happy to be here for this ceremony to open New Horizons 2006, in which hundreds of American and Salvadoran officers will construct schools, community centers, and wells in 18 communities of Morazán and provide medical attention to thousands of Salvadorans in this Department.

I feel so proud each time I talk to these soldiers engineers, and doctors.  They are so enthusiastic about being able to help people who are so grateful, while they get trained to provide relief after natural disasters or other emergencies that require their expertise.  This really is a win-win program.

The New Horizons program is one of various health and education projects that are supported by the United States. By focusing our efforts in these areas, we are investing in the future of El Salvador.

This joint exercise is a concrete symbol of the lasting friendship between our people, a friendship based on shared values, interests, and initiatives.  When New Horizons 2005 opened a year ago, I said we were working hard for the ratification of CAFTA, and now CAFTA between the U.S. and El Salvador is a reality.   And there are other promising possibilities.   El Salvador is finalizing a project to develop a northern highway, possibly with funding from the Millennium Challenge Fund. For Morazán and the other northern departments, the highway would increase access to transportation and commerce networks, thereby creating better opportunities. 

Together we are combating the scourges of narcotrafficking, organized crime, and terroism.  In Iraq, our soldiers are helping other people in need.  In so many ways, we are building a better future.

I want to salute and congratulate the Ministers of Defense, Health, and Education.  I want to thank the U.S. troops who have traveled here to participate in this great work.  And to the people of Morazán, I want to say that with this effort and yours, the future will be better.

Thank you very much.