Joint Statement Following Discussions With Prime Minister Menzies of Australia.

PRESIDENT KENNEDY and Prime Minister Menzies met today in Washington to discuss informally a wide range of international problems. The Secretary of State, Mr. Dean Rusk; the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs, Mr. J. Graham Parsons; and the Australian Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Howard Beale; assisted in these discussions.

Both the President and the Prime Minister welcome this opportunity to reaffirm the traditional partnership between the peoples of Australia and the United States.

In their review of security problems, the President and the Prime Minister reiterated their strong faith in SEATO and ANZUS as bulwarks for the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. They both expressed their willingness to cooperate with all nations to work together for peace and freedom in the world.

They recognized the central importance of the United Nations and the Office of the Secretary General in the pursuit of peaceful settlements and pledge their joint support of the efforts now being made by the Secretary General to bring peace to the Congo. They deplored current attempts to twist the tragic events in the Congo into an attack upon the United Nations itself.

They welcomed the initiative of King Savang Vatthana proposing a course of action to bring peace, stability and neutrality to Laos, expressing the hope that his efforts will bear fruit.

They agreed that efforts must be continued to arrive at an effective agreement under international control in the field of disarmament.