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Joint Statement Following Discussions With the King of Afghanistan.

September 07, 1963

AT THE invitation of President and Mrs. Kennedy, Their Majesties King Mohammed Zaher and Queen Homaira of Afghanistan are paying a state visit to the United States. They have just completed the Washington portion of their visit.

His Majesty was accompanied by the Court Minister and Chief of the Royal Secretariat His Excellency Ali Mohammed, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance His Excellency Abdullah Malikyar and the Minister for Press and Information His Excellency Sayyid Kasem Rishtiya.

During the course of the visit His Majesty had an exchange of views with President Kennedy on matters of mutual interest to Afghanistan and the United States and on the current world situation. The United States has followed with interest and sympathy the efforts being made by Afghanistan, under the leadership of His Majesty, to achieve economic development and social progress. President Kennedy assured His Majesty of the continuing desire of the United States to cooperate with Afghanistan in economic and technical fields and by so doing to contribute to the success of the efforts which Afghanistan is making to provide a better life for its people.

In international relations both countries are dedicated to the furtherance of the cause of world peace and to efforts designed to bring about the elimination or reduction of tensions between nations. They are deeply convinced of the indispensable role of the United Nations in advancing the cause of peace and of the necessity of supporting its efforts directed to this end. It was noted that Afghanistan's traditional policy is the safeguarding of its national independence through nonalignment, friendship and cooperation with all countries. The United States for its part places great importance on Afghanistan's continued independence and national integrity.

Both sides agreed that the visit of His Majesty has contributed to better understanding between the United States and Afghanistan and to a strengthening of the already friendly relations existing between the two countries.

John F. Kennedy, Joint Statement Following Discussions With the King of Afghanistan. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/237393

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