Your Majesty, Your Royal Highnesses, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen:
Once again, it has been my great privilege and pleasure to meet with Your Majesty, as well as with Crown Prince Khalid and other members of the Saudi Arabian Government.
Our talks have been constructive and far-reaching, covering problems on the whole world. We have particularly directed our attention to, and have reviewed in detail, the momentous changes that are occurring in this area of the world, the Middle East.
While we both recognize that important steps have already been taken on the long road to permanent peace in this area, there is much that remains to be done in reaching our goal.
And the United States intends to persevere in its active efforts to achieve this difficult but great goal of a permanent and equitable and just peace in this area, and essential elements in the search for peace are the fundamental developments we are witnessing in American relations with Saudi Arabia and with other nations in the Arab world.
The American and Arab nations are rapidly moving into an era of close cooperation and interdependence, an era unprecedented in the long history of our relationships. It is entirely fitting that one of the first manifestations of this new era should come in the relationships between Saudi Arabia and the United States, the two nations that have been closely bound by ties of friendship for more than three decades.
In exploring avenues of cooperation, His Majesty and I have focused, in particular, on the work of the joint commissions which were agreed to a week ago during the visit of His Royal Highness Prince Fahd and other senior Saudi ministers to Washington. These commissions and the goals they represent hold rich promise for the future of Saudi Arabia and for the future of the entire Mideast.
And, Your Majesty, the United States intends to be Saudi Arabia's active and constructive partner in insuring the success of these goals.
His Majesty and I have also reviewed the efforts by the United States to assist Saudi Arabia in maintaining its defense forces. Our two nations are totally dedicated to peace. But to achieve that goal in this area, Saudi Arabia must have a level of security that is consistent with its role as a leader in this part of the world. If Saudi Arabia is strong and secure, as it will be, we will enhance the prospects for peace anti stability throughout the Middle East and, in turn, throughout the world.
As we conclude these talks after having met on several occasions before, I would say that today American ties with Saudi Arabia have never been stronger and have never more solidly been based than they are now. We have long been good friends, and our friendship which now develops into an active partnership will be further strengthened through active cooperation between us in the areas that I have described.
And, Your Majesty, on behalf of all of the Americans traveling with me, I would like to express our grateful appreciation to you for the very generous hospitality you have extended to us and also to express appreciation to you for the gestures of hospitality and the counsel you have provided for Secretary Kissinger during his visits to your nation.
And personally, I look forward to meeting you again when you next can plan a trip to the United States. I can assure you of a warm and friendly reception.
Note: The President spoke at 12:55 p.m. in the King's Office at the A1-Ri'assa Palace in Jidda.
King Faisal responded to the President's remarks in Arabic. His remarks were translated by an interpreter as follows:
Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished guests:
It is a source of great appreciation to meet with you again, Mr. President, only this time in our country, and to receive you so warmly as you may have seen, so genuinely, on the part of the people and the Government of Saudi Arabia.
We greatly appreciate, Mr. President, your genuine expressions of friendship and solidarity and cooperation between our two countries. We have no doubt whatsoever that everybody who is genuine and who knows us well, both sides of us, is absolutely assured of our agreeing with you fully about the strengthening and deepening of our relations.
And as I have mentioned to you, Mr. President, I have the conviction that all our Arab brethren are desirous of and are seriously looking forward to improve the relations that bind them to the United States of America in ties of friendship and respect.
It is our sincere hope that all the problems and the blemishes that seem to mar the relationship between the United States of America and some Arab countries will be removed so that the clear waters will go back to their natural course.
We are fully confident in the efficacy of Your Excellency's endeavors to remove all these problems and blemishes so that we can once again, the Arab world and the United States of America, be very close and deep friends.
But what is very important is that our friends in the United States of America be themselves wise enough to stand behind you, to rally around you, Mr. President, in your noble efforts, almost unprecedented in the history of mankind, the efforts aiming at securing peace and justice in the world.
It goes without saying that in addition to our professions--genuine professions--of friendship between us and our desires to strengthen the ties, there is no doubt that our ultimate objectives, both you and us, are in the same direction, namely, aiming at securing peace, justice, stability, and prosperity to the whole world.
And anybody who stands against you, Mr. President, in the United States of America or outside the United States of America, or stands against us, your friends in this part of the world, obviously has one aim in mind, namely, that of causing the splintering of the world, the wrong polarization of the world, the bringing about of mischief, which would not be conducive to tranquillity and peace in the world.
Therefore, we beseech Almighty God to lend His help to us and to you so that we both can go hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder in pursuance of the noble aims that we both share, namely, those of peace, justice, and prosperity in the world.
And we sincerely hope that God will grant us success to our joint efforts in reaching those noble aims for all peoples of the world.
I would like to assure you, Mr. President, that for our part, we will pursue, realize, and carry out every item that we have agreed upon, both sides, between Dr. Kissinger and His Royal Highness Prince Fahd, between the American side and the Saudi side in the fields of cooperation.
And I would like to reiterate my thanks and gratification at your having taken the trouble to grace us with this very kind and most welcome visit and certainly beseech Almighty God to grant you continued success in your noble endeavors.
Thank you.
Richard Nixon, Remarks at the Conclusion of Discussions With King Faisal of Saudi Arabia Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/255907
