Remarks of Welcome to President Abboud of the Republic of the Sudan at Andrews Air Force Base

Note: President Abboud responded (through an interpreter) as follows:

Mr. President John F. Kennedy, President of the United States of America:

At this moment when we begin our visit to your great country to make direct contact with your friendly nation, we feel overwhelmed by a deep sense of joy and happiness. This joy is derived from your bright history and on behalf of the Sudan I present to you and to the great American Nation our most sincere congratulations on the occasion of the 183rd anniversary of the memorable Valley Forge - that great event which marked a chapter in the book of heroism and the gospel of principles written by your great Revolution under that outstanding leader, George Washington. Then they scored the first victory for the cause of independence and freedom. Your people presented this historical achievement to the world, that inspired and still inspires many nations for all these years to follow suit and be guided by its principles.

It is a good omen, Mr. President, that our visit to the United States of America coincides with this dear occasion to you and to me. It enables us to couple our congratulations to you and to the American people with our sincere thanks and appreciation for your kind invitation which we were so fortunate to be able to accept on behalf of the Sudan. This invitation will further strengthen our friendship and cooperation. We shall always remember that you and the American people have readily shown to the Sudan, even before they achieved independence, sincere friendship and fraternity by sending missions of good will, by supporting our candidacy for membership in the United Nations, of cooperation between the two nations on an exemplary and disinterested basis.

I have no doubt that this visit which we make on behalf of the Sudan will remain as a landmark in the history of our relations. The warm reception accorded me by you, Mr. President, and by the honorable members of your administration, demonstrates once more those kind feelings and sincere friendship extended towards the Sudan.

Indeed, this visit will be of great significance because it came at a time when many nations, particularly Africans, have achieved independence and become full members of the international family. They have awakened to shoulder their responsibilities for the welfare of their people Within a happy and peaceful world.

For all these considerations, Mr. President, we are happy to be able to accept your kind invitation, which is a good example of cooperation between members of the international family and the establishment of close relations on the basis of mutual respect and confidence, especially during this troubled period of human history.

It gives me great pleasure, Mr. President, to convey to you and to the great American people on this occasion a message from the Sudanese people, a message of good will and true friendship stemming out of the genuine desire to further these friendly relations and strengthen them on the basis on which they started: mutual confidence and respect for the interests of our countries and the world at large.

In spite of the long distances that separate our two countries, we have many things in common. The system of government derived from the principles of your Revolution and our Revolution. We now devote our efforts to establish a system of our own, based on our traditions and aiming at the fulfillment of the wishes of our people for freedom and social justice in the true Sudanese pattern--again similar to the situation of your great country in the American continent. The Sudan stretches from the Arab world into the heart of Africa and is adjacent to no less than eight countries. We are fully aware that this situation imposes on us the declaration and application of a clearly cut policy based on sincerity and cooperation inside as well as outside the continent--that we have to stand for eradication of what remains of foreign domination and for developing the economic and social life of the Africans.

Thus we safeguard freedom in Africa, and hence the peace of the world. In this spirit, which we feel is shared by the American people, we look forward, Mr. President, to the forthcoming meetings. I am confident from what we already know of your personal courage and frankness that our deliberations will have far-reaching results in the fulfillment of the objectives of our two nations, and in strengthening world peace and prosperity.

Finally, to the captain and crew of this magnificent and efficient aircraft which the President has so kindly placed under our disposal, as an indication of honoring the Sudan, in my person, to them I wish to express my deep thanks and appreciation for all that they have done to make the journey most comfortable.

I wish also to congratulate them for the confidence of their people in charging them with the history-making feat, the landing of the first Boeing 707 at Khartoum Airport, a feat which in fact they have performed with distinguished success.
Thank you.