Diplomacy

You are welcomed just as warmly to our country, and we hope that your few days stay here will be as memorable for you as our stay in your country was memorable for us.

As part of our wide-ranging diplomatic effort, I sent Frank Borman to twelve nations this past summer to enlist support for our cause.

Our Ambassadors throughout the world have used our diplomatic resources fully to help convince the other side to treat our men humanely and to release them soon.

I have welcomed you before to Washington, D.C., and to this house, but it is a special privilege to welcome you for the first time as Prime Minister of Great Britain.

I am sure our talks will contribute toward that end.

The peace and friendship between our two nations would be perpetual.

Our countries have a special relationship which we often refer to.

At the United Nations you have been the embodiment of the oldest American tradition, that of a decent respect for the opinions of mankind.

They help build bridges of understanding between the United States and other countries.

This new Act will improve our foreign relations and promote a better understanding of America throughout the world.

Our hopes that talks will soon begin reside in our conviction that the same mutual interest reflected in earlier agreements is present here--a mutual interest in stopping the rapid accumulation and refinement of these munitions.

We have not made any hard and fast decisions today, although we have explored many of the interests of our respective people.

I want to negotiate.

It is clear from our discussions that the friendship that has existed and the close relationship that has existed between our two countries for more than the past two decades will be continued.

And the journey that you will begin tomorrow will strengthen, I think, the friendship between our countries.

America is ready to designate her representative today, and will be glad to do so if the other parties do likewise.

We will be glad to meet anyone more than halfway, insofar as talking instead of fighting is concerned.

We have done our best to hold NATO together, and we think we have had some success in that direction.