Mr. Mayor, Your Excellencies:
It is a very great honor for Mrs. Nixon and me to receive the key to the city of Madrid.
This is not an ordinary key. An ordinary key can open the door of a house or of a room. But this key, as we have already seen in the part of the road that we have traveled, opens the hearts of the people of Madrid and the people of Spain to the people of the United States.
We are grateful for this wonderful welcome.
We have many pleasant memories of our visit here before and we look forward to our stay in this, one of the greatest cities in the world.
Thank you.
Note: The President spoke at 12:50 p.m. in the Plaza del Marques del Duero in response to the remarks of Mayor Don Carlos Arias Nayafro who spoke in Spanish. A translation of the mayor's remarks, which was posted for the press, follows:
Today, Mr. President, will always be an outstanding one in the annals of Madrid, capital of Spain. You can see in the cordial and jubilant reception offered to you by our people, a reconfirmation of their affection for the great Nation represented by you, joined to ours by bonds of friendship and common effort.
It is a great and unforgettable honor for me, as mayor of Madrid, to offer you the keys to the city, as a symbol of gratitude for the honor bestowed by your visit, an expression of our satisfaction to have you here as our illustrious guest and a fervent wish for a pleasant and happy stay.
Mr. President of the United States of America: "Welcome to Madrid!"
Richard Nixon, Remarks on Accepting the Key to the City of Madrid Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/240763
