Secretary Rubio: Thanks. Thanks. Good night. Well, those lights are bright. Now I can see you. Anyway. Good evening, thank you all for coming, and welcome to Atlanta. I think this is a very productive start and I hope it will be a very productive ministerial meeting.
As I said earlier today, our job is obviously to create a platform through which our leaders will be able to meet in Doral in a few weeks and actually host a successful G20. I believe that together we are charting a vibrant, dynamic and bold economic future, one that will open up new horizons for the entire world.
So I want to take a moment to thank the city of Atlanta for hosting us to this spectacular place, which I have never been to before but is one of our nation’s treasures. Atlanta’s history is a testament to what human ingenuity can accomplish. Less than 200 years ago, the city—what we know today as Atlanta—was little more than a railroad hub, a stake driven into the clay to mark the end of the line. Its original name was actually Terminal Station. That’s what it’s called, where the railroad ends, where it actually stops. Of course, within a few decades it became a thriving commercial center. When the Civil War devastated the city – it was one of the places that almost burned down – it was rebuilt. Over the next few generations, they transformed a humble railroad town into one of America’s greatest commercial powers.
In Georgia and across the American South, we see a vision for our economic future taking shape. It’s still alive. It is expanding. It’s moving. It’s full of endless possibilities. We see revolutionary inventions and innovations. Many of the fastest growing cities in our country, in the United States, are in the South. We see new factories. We see new business. We’re seeing new jobs, both white-collar jobs and blue-collar jobs. We see world-class universities filled with talented, creative students who, as we speak, are preparing to lead the country’s future into new territories.
The explosion of energy, exuberance and creativity that occurs here is no accident. This is a direct result of a series of policy decisions made by the leaders of these countries. These are carefully considered decisions aimed at providing their businesses, entrepreneurs and citizens with opportunities to build, innovate and grow; providing the economic base, infrastructure and regulatory environment needed to unlock the potential of their people.
The future economy Americans are building in Atlanta and across the South—and indeed the entire country—can also belong to our economic partners, allies, and friends: a future of economic prosperity and growth, backed by secure, affordable energy and regulations that encourage innovation and growth in the industries of the future.
President Trump has made achieving this vision a top priority from his first day in office. It is in America’s economic and national security interests that we dominate energy, we have robust supply chains, we remove regulatory barriers to growth, and we lead the advancement of superintelligence and other critical emerging technologies. By the way, I say it’s in our national interest, but I also think it’s also probably in the national interest of every country that’s here in this meeting to have energy and technology and progress and innovation and so on.
It is also the mission of President Trump and many of your leaders to ensure that this group focuses on core economic policy issues. We want to implement practical solutions, solutions that will lead to real, positive outcomes – from our perspective to the American people, from your perspective to the people of your country, and ultimately from the perspective of people around the world.
Since the United States is the host of this year’s G20, we have held meetings across the country that focus on many aspects of developed economies, covering topics including trade, fiscal and monetary policy, emerging technologies, and energy. This week we continue to focus intensely on our economic interests, building on previous meetings and laying the groundwork for our leaders and their summit in Doral in a few weeks.
I would also like to take a moment to point out Poland as an official participant in the G20. President Trump believes that their economic success and growing global influence is exactly what the G20 needs to address the major economic challenges we all face, and we are pleased to have them with us today and this week.
The economic challenges facing our countries are complex and interconnected. Because we all face these challenges, we must work together to address them. The future of our nations depends on our willingness to understand that while our interests may not always align, we should always seek to work together to advance them where and where they do. We are committed to doing so in the interest of all of us.
My team and I want to work with you to ensure that the Leaders’ Summit is as successful as possible, and it is my sincere hope that we can build a strong foundation of aligned commitment and shared focus on policies that advance our shared interests and help our country prosper for generations to come.
Welcome to Atlanta, welcome to America. Thanks. It’s very productive. I’m looking forward to tomorrow again and certainly to Doral in a few weeks. Thank you so much. (applause.)