Remarks by President Biden and President Gabriel Boric of Chile Before Bilateral Meeting

Oval Office

3:58 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, Mr. President, welcome to the White House.  Welcome to the Oval Office.
 
PRESIDENT BORIC:  Thank you very much.  It’s really an honor for me and Chile to be here.
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, I tell you, it’s our honor.
 
Look, you know, the only problem I have with you is you’re too young.
 
PRESIDENT BORIC:  That’s not a problem.  (Laughter.)
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  No, what — it was —  I got elected when I was 29.  You had to be 30 years old to be a senator.  I had to wait.
 
President — that’s pretty good, man.
 
PRESIDENT BORIC:  Well —
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  That’s why I called you.
 
PRESIDENT BORIC:  I — I was elected when I was 35, and 27 for congress.
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  That’s right.
 
PRESIDENT BORIC:  You were elected at twenty — 29, you said?
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Twenty-nine.
 
PRESIDENT BORIC:  Twenty-nine.
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  You have to be 30.  I had to wait 17 days to be eligible.
 
PRESIDENT BORIC:  Well, we are sharing the same path then.
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Yeah.  But anyway —
 
PRESIDENT BORIC:  Hope to get as far as you.
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, it’s great to have you here and have you — to see you again.
 
You know, this year, Chile and the United States celebrate 200 years — 200 years of bilateral relations.  And today, our — I think our partnership is stronger than it’s ever been.
 
PRESIDENT BORIC:  Yeah.
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  And one of the things that — together, through our Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, we’re going to grow the economies, the hemisphere from the bottom up and the middle out. 
 
You know, we — I’ve said many times that there’s no reason why this hemisphere shouldn’t be the most prosperous, most democratic hemisphere in the world.  We have all the makings of that, and we’re standing up for democracy and freedom, human rights, and the rights of workers.  I know we share those views, you and I.
 
And — and together, we’re working to address the historic levels of migration in the hemisphere — a lot of people moving around.  And I admire the way you’ve handled it, particularly the Venezuelan refugees, which you’ve set an example for the region.
 
And so, as we embark on this next century of partnership, let’s make it even stronger.
 
PRESIDENT BORIC:  Well, that’s why I’m here for. 
 
Thank you for receiving me and my — my delegation.
 
We’re celebrating 200 years of diplomatic relationships, but also 20 years since our free trade agreement, which has bring a lot of benefits for both of us.
 
I — I’m looking forward to strengthen our relationships.
 
And I’m glad to be here also to the American Partnership — the APEP meeting.  Hope we can — we can talk on that.
 
And, well, we — we have some — a lot of values that we share: of course, the preoccupation for human rights, democracy, and also the rights of the workers in the world. 
 
I saw you supporting workers here in the States in — a couple — a couple of weeks ago.  And I think that’s very valuable from — from a president.
 
And, well, we have a lot of topic to discuss: the green transition, of course; immigration; migration, the economic development; and, of course, some — some issues that are going on in this — in this world that it’s really hard nowadays.  But I know with respecting human rights and fighting for democracy, we can reach some — some of the goals we share.
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, you know, we — in my view, there comes a time, maybe every six to eight generations, where the world changes in a very short time.  And —
 
PRESIDENT BORIC:  We’re at that time now.
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  We are.  And I think what happens in the next two, three years are going to determine what the world looks like for the next five or six decades.  And so, together, maybe we can make it better.
 
PRESIDENT BORIC:  Let’s work for it.
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  All right.  Let’s do it.
 
Thank you, all.
 
PRESIDENT BORIC:  Thanks very much.
 
(Cross-talk.)
 
Q    Is this the most complicated time of your presidency so far?
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Nothing to it.
 
Q    Nothing to it?
 
4:03 P.M. EDT