Remarks Following a Meeting With Arab Foreign Ministers To Discuss Prospects for Peace in the Middle East
Ladies and gentlemen:
Foreign Minister Saqqaf of Saudi Arabia and Foreign Minister Fahmy of Egypt, Dr. Kissinger, and I have just had an extended and very constructive discussion with regard to our achieving the goal of a permanent peace in the Mideastern area.
With regard to the various steps that have been taken--the first of which, of course, was the disengagement on the Egyptian front--the immediate problem that concerns us all is to obtain disengagement on the Syrian front.
The two Foreign Ministers are here representing not only their own governments but also four heads of state, as they will indicate, and at the request of the foreign ministers conveying the requests of the heads of government, we believe that steps should now be taken to get the talks begun between the Syrians and the Israelis with regard to disengagement.
Consequently, at their request, I have asked Dr. Kissinger, when he completes his trip to Mexico City, to go to the Mideast again where he will meet with the Syrians and with the Israelis, with the objective of getting talks started with regard to the problem of disengagement on the Syrian front.
In addition to that, we discussed other matters of mutual concern having to do particularly with the need to have a permanent settlement in the Mideast. And I would say--and I would allow, of course, each of them, or would ask each of them to comment as they see fit with regard to the point I will be making now--that the goal of all governments, these two governments with which we have had very friendly relations in recent times and some over a longer time, the goal of our governments is to have not simply a temporary settlement but a permanent settlement, with normal relations, economically, diplomatically, and in other ways in that area of the world and with all of the countries of that area of the world.
And as our senior guest, we will call on the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia to say anything he would like.
Mr. Saqqaf.
Note: The President spoke at 12:42 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White House.
Minister of State 'Umar al-Saqqaf of Saudi Arabia and Foreign Minister Ismail Fahmy of Egypt responded to the President's remarks as follows:
MINISTER OF STATE AL-SAQQAF
My friend, thank you very much.
I think you see me now for the third time. You might notice that I am better relaxed. The reason is that I have had a very good and constructive discussion with the President and with the Secretary.
I think Mr. President summarized everything, and I don't need to add anything, except that we feel hopeful that something will happen and soon, for the benefit of the United States, of the Middle East, for the world as a whole.
Thank you.
FOREIGN MINISTER FAHMY
We had, as the President has just said, an extended discussion, and very constructive, and we are very pleased--after conveying to the President the decisions which were taken unanimously by the four heads of government in Algeria--we are very pleased, as you have heard the President, that the United States will continue to work for a permanent and just peace in the Middle East, for the benefit of the countries of this area. And we welcome his approval of dispatching the Secretary of State to the area again to start contacts with the Syrians and the Israelis to start working on a disengagement on that front as the United States actively participated before, so far as the Egyptian front, and there was a successful result from the U.S. efforts in that regard.
Thank you.
Richard Nixon, Remarks Following a Meeting With Arab Foreign Ministers To Discuss Prospects for Peace in the Middle East Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/256364
