Remarks on Signing the "Principles of Relations and Cooperation Between Egypt and the United States"

Mr. President and ladies and gentlemen:

Mr. President, I first want to endorse very enthusiastically your very generous compliment to our Secretary of State for the role he has played, along with members of the U.S. team, in working out the various problems to which you have referred.

And on my part, may I pay my respects to Foreign Secretary Fahmy¹ for the role that he has played, and members of your team, in working out many of the details and also many of the hard, substantive issues that have confronted us.

¹ Ismail Fahmy was Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

We are both fortunate, I believe, in the support that we have had, and the talks that have gone forward have been ones that have laid the foundation for not only a continuation of a direct contact between you, President Sadat, and me, through channels that we have established but also direct contacts at the foreign minister level and at all levels of government to put meaning and also substance into the papers that we sign, the speeches that we may make, the declarations that may be forthcoming.

Also, on this occasion, before leaving Cairo, could I express again our grateful appreciation on behalf of not only Mrs. Nixon and myself but all of ours who are in the American party, for the overwhelming hospitality that you have extended to us on this visit. We are most grateful, grateful for that hospitality, and we shall always remember it. And we look forward to the opportunity later this year to have Mrs. Sadat, who stands so strongly and loyally and effectively by your side, as well as you, Mr. President, visit the United States again and get to know our country and our people better, not only at the official level but, as I have had the opportunity, across the Nation among all people from all walks of life.

We have today signed a statement which has as its title, "Principles of Relations and Cooperation Between Egypt and the United States."

I think, Mr. President, as I sign this statement, as you must think, of the many statements and treaties and executive agreements and others that I have signed since I have been in this office. Some have meant a great deal more than others, but there is one important rule which governs statements or agreements or treaties or whatever documents are signed by heads of government, and that is this: that the statement, the treaty, the agreement, is only as good as the will and the determination of the parties concerned to keep that agreement.

Now, what we have established in this visit, brief though it is: first, that that will and determination to keep the agreement and not to be satisfied just with it, but to build on it. We have certainly established that that will and determination exists between the two heads of state and heads of government, President Sadat and myself. We have established that it also exists at official levels in other areas of government.

But I think, also, we have something else which is worthy of note. As we saw in the 3 days that we have been in your country, these "Principles of Relations and Cooperation Between Egypt and the United States" have the support of the Egyptian people. We sensed that as we saw your people in such great numbers, and I can assure you, Mr. President, they also have the support of the American people.

And so, not only officially, not only at the head of state and head of government level but also among our people, there is support for this document that we have signed and support not only for the specific agreements, declarations that are contained therein but support for the spirit which we have discussed, in which we will go on from this agreement to others in the future that will build on them.

For example, in our discussions we have explored ways and means that in the future we could build on the understandings set forth in this agreement. It is also very significant to note that the relations and principles described herein are relations and cooperation which are dedicated to the works of peace, and we believe that this is again something which has the support of your people and of the American people, based on what we have seen in our visit here.

You have referred, Mr. President, to the fact that while we have made very significant progress by reason of the negotiations that have taken place today in removing roadblocks which have existed toward a final, equitable, permanent peace agreement, that there is still a long road to travel. We recognize that, as you recognize it, and we look forward to attempting to work with you, with other governments involved in attempting to find solutions to these problems, because we believe that in the final analysis, it is the permanent peace settlement which is in the interest of every government in the area and every nation in the area. And it is not our intention, as you have indicated it is not your intention, that what we have done to date is final. It is a beginning, a very good beginning, and it has been followed up very substantially by this bilateral understanding which we have signed today. But there is more to be done on both fronts, and we look forward to working with you in accomplishing those goals.

And finally, Mr. President, I would not want this moment to pass without reflecting on those few minutes that we had, through your courtesy, standing by the Pyramids, thinking back over the thousands of years of history which your people have known and history which is the common heritage of the civilization of our world today.

We think of the great things that your people have done in the past, but as we stood there, I thought also of the even greater things that you, your government-now that we move into an era of peace, now that we will have cooperation with the U.S. and with other governments as well, I am sure, in accomplishing peaceful goals, we think that Egypt now is at the beginning--it is almost trite to say it--not only of a new era but the beginning of what can be the greatest progress this nation has known for many generations and even centuries.

That is your goal. You have spoken feelingly to me about that goal as we have seen your people--so many of them-the farmers, the workers, the teachers, the professional people, and the others, whether in the countryside, in Cairo, or in Alexandria.

It is a great goal, and you can be sure, Mr. President, that we in America share that goal with you. And as far as the principles stated in the papers that we have just signed are concerned, you can be sure we do not consider this just another piece of paper. It has the backing of our Government officially, it has my personal backing, and it also has the heartfelt support, I am sure, of the American people.