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1252995
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8/3/76 - Remarks During a Toast in Honor of President Urho Kekkonen of Finland at a State Dinner
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1252995
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document
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8/3/76 - Remarks During a Toast in Honor of President Urho Kekkonen of Finland at a State Dinner
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President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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Finland
Dinners and dining
American Revolution Bicentennial, 1776-1976
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1252995
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3
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1976-08-03
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8
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1976
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3
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1976-08-03
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8
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1976
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The original documents are located in Box 37, "8/3/76 - Remarks During a Toast in Honor
of President Urho Kekkonen of Finland at a State Dinner" 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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 37 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
REMARKS AT STATE DINNER FOR PRESIDENT KEKKONEN
TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1976
-1-
MR. PRESIDENT, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS:
WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE YOU AND YOUR PARTY
AS OUR GUESTS
-2-
MR. PRESIDENT
THIS SUMMER
THE UNITED STATES
CELEBRATES OUR 200th ANNIVERSARY
BY JOINING WITH US
ON THIS HISTORIC OCCASION YOU DO US GREAT HONOR
-3-
YOUR PARTICIPATION IN FINNISH-AMERICAN
BICENTENNIAL CEREMONIES AT SUOMI (SOO-WAM-EE) COLLEGE
FOUNDED BY FINNISH IMMIGRANTS IN MICHIGAN
IS A VIVID REMINDER
OF FINLAND'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICA
-4-
TO CITE A SINGLE EXAMPLE, AMERICANS FROM COAST TO
COAST KNOW OF FINNISH GENIUS IN SAARINEN'S (SAH-REE-NEN'S)
DESIGN OF WASHINGTON'S DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TERMINAL
-5-
WHETHER IN STEEL AND CONCRETE, OR IN MIND AND SPIRIT
THE FINNISH INVOLVEMENT WITH THE UNITED STATES CONTINUES TO AFFIRM
THE TRADITIONAL TIES OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN OUR PEOPLES
-6-
DURING THIS BICENTENNIAL YEAR AMERICANS ARE GRATIFIED
BY FINLAND'S OBSERVANCE OF OUR ANNIVERSARY
THE WONDERFUL
TAPIOLA (TAP-EE-OH-LA) CHILDREN'S CHOIR HAS ALREADY PERFORMED HERE
AND FINNISH MUSICIANS ARE NOW ENTERTAINING AT THE SMITHSONIAN
FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL
-7-
THE SIBELIUS (SIH-BAY-LEE-US) ACADEMY CHOIR WILL VISIT
THE UNITED STATES THIS FALL THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF THE FINNISH
GOVERNMENT
FOR THESE AND ALL OF FINLAND'S CONTRIBUTIONS
TO OUR BICENTENNIAL
MR. PRESIDENT
AMERICANS ARE DEEPLY
,
APPRECIATIVE
-8-
THIS SUMMER BOTH OUR COUNTRIES PARTICIPATED IN THE
OLYMPIC GAMES
IT IS APPROPRIATE TO NOTE THAT YOU
MR. PRESIDENT
HAD THE HIGH HONOR TO BE AN OLYMPIAN
-9-
YOU MADE YOUR FIRST TRIP TO THE UNITED STATES AS HEAD
OF THE FINNISH TEAM TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN LOS ANGELES IN 1932
I AM PLEASED TO NOTE THAT FINLAND LAST WEEK CONTINUED TO WIN
GOLD MEDALS
YOU HAVE MY CONGRATULATIONS
-10-
MR. PRESIDENT
AS A FELLOW SKIER
I
CAN ONLY MARVEL
AT THE MORE THAN 600 MILES YOU SKI CROSS COUNTRY EACH SEASON
YOUR PROWESS AS A JOGGER
FISHERMAN AND HUNTER IS LEGENDARY
AT ONE TIME YOU WERE THE HIGH JUMP CHAMPION OF FINLAND
YOU ARE
IN FACT
THE PERSONAL EMBODIMENT OF FINLAND'S WORLD-WIDE
REPUTATION FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS AND ATHLETIC SPIRIT.
-II-
MR. PRESIDENT
IT WAS JUST A YEAR AGO LAST WEEK
THAT MRS. FORD AND I VISITED HELSINKI ON THE OCCASION OF THE
CONFERENCE ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE.
-12-
AS HOST OF THE CONFERENCE FINLAND AGAIN SHOWED
THE WORLD ITS DEEP INTEREST AND ACTIVE ROLE IN PROMOTING
INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING AND AMITY, IN WORKING FOR PEACE
AND STABILITY
-13-
WE VALUE FINLAND'S CREATIVE PARTICIPATION IN WORLD
AFFAIRS UNDER YOUR WISE AND SKILLFUL LEADERSHIP
WE WELCOME
FINLAND'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING EFFORTS
IN CYPRUS AND THE MIDDLE EAST
-14-
OUR STRONG TIES ARE BASED ON MANY SHARED IDEALS
AND GENUINE MUTUAL RESPECT
ABOVE ALL
IN THIS COUNTRY
FINLAND IS RESPECTED AS A NATION THAT MEETS ITS OBLIGATIONS
-15-
JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO FINLAND WROTE A NEW PAGE
IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS BY PAYING OFF
IN FULL
ITS WORLD WAR ONE
DEBT TO THE UNITED STATES
-- EIGHT YEARS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
-16-
I KNOW YOU SHARE MY SATISFACTION IN THE KNOWLEDGE
THAT THIS LAST PAYMENT WILL BE USED TO SEND YOUNG PEOPLE FROM
FINLAND AND THE UNITED STATES ON EXCHANGE VISITS FOR GENERATIONS
TO COME
-17-
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I PROPOSE A TOAST TO
A DISTINGUISHED WORLD STATESMAN
THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
OF FINLAND
AND TO THE CONTINUED CLOSE AND FRIENDLY RELATIONS
BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLES OF THE UNITED STATES AND FINLAND
END OF TEXT