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1252934
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6/26/76 - Remarks Upon Arrival for International Summit Conference, Puerto Rico
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1252934
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document
title
6/26/76 - Remarks Upon Arrival for International Summit Conference, Puerto Rico
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collections
President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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Puerto Rico
International economy
Speeches, addresses, etc.
Economics
Summit meetings
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1252934
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26
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1976-06-26
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6
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1976
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26
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1976-06-26
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6
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1976
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The original documents are located in Box 35, "6/26/76 - Remarks Upon Arrival for
International Summit Conference, Puerto Rico" of the President's Speeches and
Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 35 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
ARRIVAL STATEMENT - SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO
SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 1976
Mr Fourmor -D Members , Welcoming Committee
THANK YOU FOR THIS WARM WELCOME UPON OUR ARRIVAL
FOR THIS SUMMIT
IT IS AN HONOR FOR THE UNITED STATES TO
HOST THIS CONFERENCE, AND I KNOW THAT WORLD LEADERS WHO ARE
JOINING ME WILL BE AS APPRECIATIVE OF THE BEAUTY AND
HOSPITALITY OF PUERTO RICO AS I AM
-2-
IN RECENT YEARS THE INDUSTRIALIZED DEMOCRACIES HAVE
BECOME INCREASINGLY CONCERNED WITH QUESTIONS OF ECONOMIC
GROWTH AND STABILITY
THE LINKAGES BETWEEN OUR NATIONS HAVE
MULTIPLIED AND OUR ECONOMIES HAVE BECOME MORE CLOSELY
INTERRELATED
-3-
LAST NOVEMBER AT RAMBOUILLET WE BEGAN A DIALOGUE
WHICH RECOGNIZED OUR MUTUAL CONCERNS AND OUR INTER -
RELATIONSHIPS
TODAY WE COME TOGETHER TO CONTINUE THAT
DIALOGUE.
WE ARE FULLY AWARE OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR
I
US TO WORK TOGETHER TO SHAPE POLICIES TO ACHIEVE STABLE
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND TO RESPOND TO THE NEW CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES WHICH FACE US ALL
-4-
SINCE WE LAST MET WE HAVE WITNESSED SIGNIFICANT
ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
CERTAINLY
IN THE UNITED STATES OUR PROGRESS HAS BEEN BETTER THAN MANY
PREDICTED
BUT SOME OLD PROBLEMS REMAIN AND NEW ONES
CONFRONT US
THE VERY SPEED OF THE RECOVERY ITSELF SERVES
AS A MAJOR TEST OF OUR ABILITY TO ENSURE LONG-TERM STABILITY
IN OUR ECONOMY
-5-
THIS IS NOT A TEST, HOWEVER, FOR THE UNITED STATES ALONE
IT IS THE SPECIAL CHALLENGE FACING THE PEOPLES OF ALL THE
INDUSTRIALIZED DEMOCRACIES
I WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AGAIN WITH THE
LEADERS OF OUR MAJOR ECONOMIC PARTNERS
-6-
I AM CONFIDENT THAT THESE DISCUSSIONS WILL HELP US TO CONTINUE
OUR CURRENT ECONOMIC PROGRESS, AND MOVE US EVER CLOSER
TO OUR GOAL OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND STABILITY THROUGHOUT
THE WORLD
THIS IS MY FIRST VISIT AS PRESIDENT TO THE
COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO RICO
-7-
IT IS A FITTING MOMENT TO REFLECT ON THE RICH AND LONG HISTORY
OF COOPERATION AND PARTICIPATION WHICH THIS ISLAND AND ITS
PEOPLE SHARE WITH THE UNITED STATES
THAT HISTORY HAS BEEN
BUILT ON A SIMPLE BUT FUNDAMENTAL PRECEPT
THE RIGHT OF THE
PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO AND THE UNITED STATES FREELY TO DETERMINE
THE NATURE OF THEIR TIES WITH ONE ANOTHER
-8-
OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE CHOSEN TO HAVE A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP,
M
WE HAVE BUILT THIS RELATIONSHIP AROUND A COMMON
CITIZENSHIP
A COMMON DEFENSE,
A COMMON CURRENCY,
AND A
COMMON MARKET
TODAY, WE FIND THAT THE NATURE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP
IS AGAIN,
AS IN THE PAST,
A SUBJECT OF FREE DISCUSSION AND
DEBATE
-9-
THIS IN ITSELF IS THE BEST TESTAMENT TO THE STRENGTH OF WHAT
WE HAVE BUILT TOGETHER, AND IT IS THE BEST PROMISE THAT WHAT
WE TOGETHER CHOOSE TO DO IN THE FUTURE WILL BE BENEFICIAL
TO THE PEOPLE OF THIS ISLAND
THERE ARE THOSE,
HOWEVER
-
WHO SEEK TO DISTORT THE
FACTS;
TO MISLEAD OTHERS ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH
PUERTO RICO
-10-
THE RECORD IS CLEAR AND OPEN
WE ARE PROUD OF THE
RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED TOGETHER AND WE INVITE
THE WORLD TO EXAMINE IT
WE COMMEND TO ITS CRITICS THE
SAME FREEDOM OF CHOICE THROUGH FREE AND OPEN ELECTION WHICH
IS ENJOYED BY THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO
-II-
THOSE WHO MIGHT BE INCLINED TO INTERFERE IN OUR FREELY
DETERMINED RELATIONS SHOULD KNOW THAT SUCH AN ACT WILL BE
CONSIDERED AS INTERVENTION IN THE DOMESTIC AFFAIRS OF PUERTO
RICO AND THE UNITED STATES; IT WILL BE AN UNFRIENDLY ACT WHICH
WILL BE RESISTED BY APPROPRIATE MEANS
-12-
IN THE MIDST OF THIS BEAUTIFUL SETTING, WE CANNOT
FORGET THAT PROBLEMS, \ BOTH POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC,
REMAIN
AS WE BASE OUR HOPES ON FREEDOM OF CHOICE AND EXPRESSION TO
HELP RESOLVE THE POLITICAL PROBLEMS, so WE LOOK TO COOPERATION
AND INTERDEPENDENCE TO OVERCOME OUR ECONOMIC PROBLEMS
-13-
I AM HOPEFUL THAT THE WORK OF THE SUMMIT WILL GIVE
A NEW IMPETUS TO THE GROWTH OF OUR WORLD WIDE ECONOMY
AND IMPROVED INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, AND THUS WILL HAVE
A POSITIVE EFFECT ON BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND PUERTO RICO
AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR WARM WELCOME AND FOR
YOUR HELP IN HOSTING THIS SUMMIT
END OF TEXT