Mr. Chancellor, Mrs. Kreisky, ladies and gentlemen:
Thank you for your gracious welcome to Salzburg--and I am sorry that I tumbled in.1
I am very pleased to have this opportunity to renew my acquaintance with you, Mr. Chancellor, your country, and the Austrian people.
Mr. Chancellor, 20 years after the signing of the State Treaty in 1955, Austria is a stable, prosperous country and an active participant in European and world affairs. Your hospitality in offering Salzburg as the site for my meetings with President Sadat reflects Austria's constructive international policy and the traditional warmth of the Austrian nation.
Mr. Chancellor, I look forward to my personal discussions with you today. I know personally of Austria's commitment to reaching peaceful solutions to the international problems from our productive talks in Washington last fall.
America is committed to the reduction of tension and the increase of cooperation in our efforts to achieve a peaceful world. The talks that we will have can contribute to this process.
I thank you very, very much.
1 On alighting from Air Force One, the President slipped and fell down the last few steps of the raindampened steel ramp leading from the airplane.
Note: The President spoke at 10:30 a.m. at Salzburg Airport in response to remarks of welcome by Austrian Chancellor Bruno Kreisky.
Following his remarks, the President departed for a meeting with Chancellor Kreisky at Schloss Klessheim.
Gerald R. Ford, Remarks on Arrival at Salzburg, Austria Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/256855
