Remarks During Discussions With Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa of Japan in New York City

The President. This gives me a chance, with our friends from the press here, to tell you how much I appreciated your hospitality.

The Prime Minister. Let me tell, Mr. President, to all the audience that we will deliver all we promised to you.

The President. I never doubted -- --

The Prime Minister. I make it very, very clear to the audience.

The President. I never doubted it.

The Prime Minister. There will be no misunderstanding about it.

The President. Let me make clear that that was never a doubt in my mind. And secondly, I'm very grateful for the many manifestations of friendship and hospitality. And you, yourself, just went out of your way on a very personal basis to be considerate to me.

The Prime Minister. Oh, yes.

The President. So, it's most appropriate that we see you when you first get off this airplane. But I don't want to take too much time.

The Prime Minister. This is very kind of you, very kind.

The President. They'll be leaving us very soon now -- [laughter] -- and we can talk.

[At this point, another group of journalists entered the room.]

The President. I might say, with the Japanese journalists here, that I had a chance to tell the Prime Minister when he arrived here how grateful the United States is for the progress that we made on this visit and how grateful I am personally to this Prime Minister and to everybody in Japan for their hospitality. The concern when I had that very, very brief illness, but the concern from the people there and the members of your Government, Members of the Diet, I will never forget it. It was very, very thoughtful. And I want to take this opportunity to thank the people of Japan because, on the business side and the personal side, we could not have been treated with more dignity and more care and more friendship.

The Prime Minister. I am very much honored to hear it from you, Mr. President. And the Japanese people were really delighted to have you and Mrs. Bush in Tokyo. And unfortunately, just a slight illness, but that perhaps brought you and Mrs. Bush closer to the Japanese mind, naturally.

This reminded me, when President Ford came to Japan and he was inspecting the parade, his pants were all too short. [Laughter] And it was on the TV, and that really made him very familiar to Japanese TV watchers.

The President. I remember that. And please tell His Majesty how much we appreciate the hospitality for me.

The Prime Minister. I will, sir.

The President. But here you are, and thank you for what you said here. This got all out of proportion, and I think we're in good shape. And I mean it.