Remarks of Welcome to King Faisal ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia

Note: The President spoke at 10: 18 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White House where King Faisal was given a formal welcome with full military honors.

Later the same day, King Faisal was honored at a luncheon at the White House.

King Faisal responded to the President's welcome in Arabic. His remarks were translated simultaneously by an interpreter, as follows:

In the name of God, the Merciful and the Beneficent, Mr. President, it is a great pleasure for me to meet with Your Excellency in this great country. Undoubtedly I am no stranger to this country. But I do believe that our meeting under these circumstances will prove fruitful, particularly as a result of Your Excellency's contribution to them.

The good relations between our two countries and the close and friendly relations between us do not need a great effort for them to remain the way they are.

We hope that this good relationship which exists between our countries will be in the interest of all and in the interest of the world at large. And I hope that the friendship of the United States will not be restricted only to our country, and that relations, good relations, will not exist only between our two countries.

We hope that these good relations and this friendship will exist not only between this great country and its great President and its great people and ourselves, but also between you and the Arab and Islamic countries of the Middle East.

If certain factors, powers, and circumstances have succeeded in disrupting the relations at times between your great country and ours and between your country and the Arab and Islamic countries of the world, we hope that through your efforts, Mr. President, these good relations will be reestablished and that there will always be a condition, a situation of good relations and friendship between your country and ours and the countries of the Middle East.

The aggression which our countries are subjected to at the present time certainly requires the attention of you, Mr. President, and your great nation.

This aggression, which exemplifies itself in the occupancy of parts of our country [nation] and our holy places and the subjugation of one of our peoples is one which has brought about some disagreement, a disruption of the good relations between your country, your good Country, and ours.

But the qualities which Your Excellency, Mr. President, and which the American people are characterized by, the love for goodness and for justice and for right, make us hope that we will be able to overcome these difficulties and that we will eventually be able to establish justice and peace in that part of the world and throughout the world.

And I am pleased, Mr. President, to exchange with you talks which will help us to be able to achieve these objectives for the interest of your country and ours.

I am pleased, Mr. President, to reiterate my gratitude for the reception and the warm welcome which I and the members of my party, of my delegation, have been accorded by you, Mr. President, and by your Government, and by your great people.

And I would like to thank you again for this reception on this occasion.