President Obama: I want to
welcome President Mujica to the Oval Office and the White House. You know what, do I have my translator? Why don't we translate this statement, come on over. My spanish is shaky right now. Here we go, let me try it again. President Obama: I want to
welcome President Mujica and his deligation to the Oval Office. I have had the pleasure
on several occasions of having discussions with
President Mujica, and have been consistently
impressed with the progress that Uruguay has
been making under his presidency. The United States and
Uruguay has developed a strong relationship across
a wide spectrum of issues. Our trade and commerce has
expanded significantly. On the international
front, we are very grateful that
Uruguay is one of the largest contributors to
U.N. peacekeeping in places
like Haiti and Africa, and has been responsible for
helping to facilitate peace in some very
volatile regions. President Mujica
personally has extraordinary credibility
when it comes to issues of democracy and human rights
given his strong values and personal history, and is a leader on these issues throughout
the hemisphere. And we share an interest
in strengthening further the people-to-people bonds
between our two countries, particularly around
the issues of science, technology and education. So this gives us an
opportunity to find ways that we can further
deepen this relationship. We both think that there's
room for additional work to expand trade and
commerce between our countries. We want to see if we
can expand exchanges, particularly for
teachers and students. I want to hear from
President Mujica additional ideas of how we
can strengthen the broad trends of
democratization and human rights in the hemisphere. And we have a shared
interest in social inclusion. Economically and socially,
in both Uruguay and the United States, we have a
potential great strength of a diverse population, and we want to exchange ideas
about how we can make sure that our societies are open and
benefiting all people and not just some. So I very much appreciate
the President's visit, although I will say the
first thing he said to me was that my hair has
become much grayer since the last time he saw me. (Laughter) Welcome. President Mujica: (As
interpreted) Thank you. First let me recognize the
American people and its institutions that are represented by you, Mr. President Obama. We live in the south. We have a soul
of the south. We belong to a continent
where our mother tongue is more or less Spanish. And we live in a time
where we need to learn English -- yes or yes. And you will have to
become a bilingual country -- yes or yes. Because the strength of
Latin women is admirable and they will fill this country with people who speak Spanish and
Portuguese, too. We have been looking
toward everywhere, but towards ourselves
a bit also. And from the humbleness
of my little Uruguay, my people, who are there
amongst an enormous area of fertile and much water, come here to seek out knowledge and research
in all groups of the biological sciences, particularly in land that require local research, because the continent must
produce much food for the world. And besides, this is the
most advanced country in the world for biological
sciences, but we don't want to merely send
students out because they get married -- (laughter)
-- and the American corporations
pay more money, so we lose these qualified people. We have to bring teachers
so then can come, but we need to make arrangements
so that they can continue to contribute to
Social Security here. Wisdom must be looked
for there where it is. And I must tell you that
in Germany I asked the same thing from Mrs.
Merkel, and with the efficiency that
Germans have she set up a plan for 10,000 qualified retirees that are on call to spend some time and
convey knowledge. And that I believe that in
the long term that's worth much more than money,
everything that is being asked for. We must fight to get
our children in the new generation's new
capacities, new knowledge. And that is going to be
the best way to spread freedom,
independence, rights. Mr. President, who is
speaking is an old smoker. But in the world, per
year, 8 million people are dying from smoking. And that is more than
World War I, World War II. It's murder. We are in an arduous fight
-- very arduous -- and we must fight against
very strong interests. Governments must not
be involved in private litigation, but here
we're fighting for life. And nobody must be
distracted in this fight for life, because out of all values, the most important one
is life itself. Well, thank you. I'm wholeheartedly
grateful. And I am getting old, and to be old means you don't want to leave home. I would like to be a
little bit younger to see Mississippi, know the
ranches -- in Los Angeles, the milk farms,
other things. But please convey a
hug -- I embrace all agriculturalists
of this nation. President
Obama: Al right. Thank you. Thank you, everybody.