Remarks on Departure From the White House for the Camp David Meeting on the Middle East

I'm leaving now for Camp David to prepare for a very important meeting between myself, President Sadat of Egypt, and Prime Minister Begin of Israel. During the next few days, very important decisions will be made by us, working with our advisers representing three great nations, searching for peace in the Middle East which can help greatly to ensure peace in the future throughout the world; by the Congress while I'm gone, in dealing with many very important issues, including the evolution of an energy policy for our Nation.

As we meet at Camp David, no one can ensure the degree of success which we might enjoy. The issues are very complicated. The disagreements are deep. Four wars have not led to peace in that troubled region of the world. There is no cause for excessive optimism, but there is also no cause for despair.

The greatest single factor which causes me to be encouraged is my sure knowledge that Prime Minister Begin and President Sadat genuinely want peace. They are determined to make progress, and so am I.

We will need the encouragement and the prayers of everyone in our Nation, in all three nations, throughout the world, who want success to come from our deliberations. Compromises will be mandatory. Without them, no progress can be expected. Flexibility will be the essence of our hopes. And my own role will be that of a full partner, not trying to impose the will of the United States on others, but searching for common ground on which agreements can be reached and searching for exchanges of compromise that are mutually advantageous to all nations involved.

I know the seriousness with which President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin come to our country, and I have tried to prepare myself as well as I possibly could to bring success to these efforts.

It will have to be a mutual thing, and all of us will enter these discussions without prejudice toward one another, with a spirit of good will and with the realization of the sober responsibilities that fall on us

Lastly, I would say that we will be almost uniquely isolated from the press and from the outside world. My hope is that this degree of personal interchange, without the necessity for political posturing or defense of a transient stand or belief, will be constructive.

There will be a great deal of effort made to ensure and enhance mutual trust in one another and to recognize accurately that we all want the same ultimate goal. There is no doubt in my mind about this.

I want to express, in closing, my thanks to these two great leaders for their willingness to come when the political consequences of failure might be very severe and when the prospects of complete success are very remote. We'll do the best we can, and I fervently ask the support and prayers of all those who share with us a hope that we might bring a new prospect for peace to the Middle East.

Thank you very much.