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7340719
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Exchange of Remarks between the President and Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State, upon Secretary Kissinger's Arrival from the Middle East [Ford Speech or Statement]
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7340719
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Exchange of Remarks between the President and Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State, upon Secretary Kissinger's Arrival from the Middle East [Ford Speech or Statement]
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
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1975-09-03
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1975
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Digitized from Box 15 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 3, 1975
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
THE WHITE HOUSE
EXCHANGE OF REMARKS
BETWEEN
THE PRESIDENT
AND
HENRY A. KISSINGER
SECRETARY OF STATE
UPON SECRETARY KISSINGER'S ARRIVAL
FROM THE MIDDLE EAST
ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE
10:50 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Secretary and Nancy and the
party that spent so many hours and days in the Middle East, let
me say with great emphasis that I am delighted to welcome you,
Mr. Secretary, back from this very important mission of peace
in the Middle East.
The success of that extraordinary mission is of
tremendous importance, not only to the parties immediately
involved, but, in my judgment, all the world. The interim
agreement that Secretary Kissinger negotiated with great
skill and with enormous diligence provides an important
contribution to our continuing efforts toward an overall
settlement in the Middle East. For that all of us have
great reason to be most greatful.
As far as both sides were concerned, war was an
unacceptable alternative in the Middle East. Both sides felt
that the risks of peace in the long run were more acceptable
than the dangers of war. The agreement initialed this past
week provides time that will be needed to work, and we intend to
work very, very hard toward concluding a lasting peace agreement
in the Middle East.
America can be very proud of its role as peacemaker
in these negotiations, a role which demanded the respect and the
trust on each side. A role which demonstrated again America's
credibility. We can be confident that the civilian American
technicians who will help monitor the agreement will be making
a similar contribution to peace. I trust that the Congress will
agree that this very small contingent is an altogether
proper contribution for the United States to make a stabilizing
and secure situation in the Sinai.
Tonight, however, our thoughts are primarily centered
on welcoming Secretary Kissinger back home. And welcome you
are, Henry. Henry has carried the flag of peace through weeks
and weeks of very difficult negotiations. His achievements on
this occasion, as in the past, have been remarkable.
MORE
Page 2
I am very delighted, Henry, to welcome you back
with the successful negotiations. I know from personal
experience how long and hard you have worked; how difficult
the task and the problem has been.
I can say from a very personal point of view that
I am most appreciative and deeply grateful. I think my
words are words of millions and millions and millions of
Americans. I thank you very, very much.
SECRETARY KISSINGER: Mr. President, Mr. Vice
President, ladies and gentlemen:
It is good to be home again. I want to thank
you, Mr. President, for the very warm words of welcome.
In these two weeks of negotiations, we have been
in contact at least twice a day and during these two weeks
of negotiations, your message to me has been, as it was
in the months previously, to all of the parties, that a
stalemate in the Middle East involved the risk of war and,
therefore, a danger to the security of America.
It involves the danger of economic dislocation
and, therefore, for the sake of the peoples of the area
and for the sake of our own people, we should spare no
effort to help the nations of the Middle East find a way
toward peace.
I am glad that my colleagues and I could make a
contribution to this effort in which the willingness to
compromise of the parties played such a central role. We
all hope that this agreement will be the first step
toward a lasting peace for an area whose suffering has
lasted for a generation.
As the President pointed out, we are proud that
America was the one country in the world sufficiently
trusted by both sides to play this role and sufficiently
trusted by both sides to be asked to help monitor some
of the technical aspects of the agreement on a very small
but central part of the area of disengagement.
So, once again, Mr. President, thank you for this
very warm reception on behalf of Nancy and myself and all
of my colleagues, and once again, it is good to be back.
END (AT 10:55 P.M. EDT)