 The Prime Minister Croxy visits us as the leader of one of America's closest and most stalwart allies. Italy in recent years has emerged as one of the principal nations of the Western Alliance. Prime Minister Croxy, by assuming leadership of the Italian people, has quickly established himself as a major figure in global politics. And we're impressed by the dynamic and statesman-like leadership provided by the new Italian government. We're particularly pleased by this opportunity today to deepen our consultations and broaden our cooperation with our trusted Italian friends. Italy is playing a crucial role in the NATO effort to correct the imbalance in nuclear forces in Europe. In our discussion today, Prime Minister Croxy and I reviewed the INF negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union and reaffirmed our goal an equitable and verifiable agreement. If Soviet entrants in transigence continues, we're committed to NATO deployment of U.S. missiles. We remain hopeful that an understanding will be reached and we'll continue negotiations even after initial deployments. Indeed, for two years, the United States has negotiated in good faith while the Soviets have continued to deploy theater nuclear weapons. The Prime Minister and I also reviewed developments in other arms control fields. The United States and Italy share a common approach to the forthcoming conference on disarmament in Europe where we will be attempting to reduce the risk of surprise attack in Europe by improving observation capabilities and by providing a better understanding of military forces and activities. We're striving for reductions of conventional forces and to establish parity in ground forces in Central Europe. I expressed to the Prime Minister our deep appreciation for the positive contributions Italy is making to Mediterranean security and to the search for peace in the Middle East. Italy was among the first nations to offer its forces for service in the Sinai to help implement the historic Camp David Accords. Italian and American soldiers now are bearing the difficult burdens of peacekeeping in Lebanon. We are cooperating there not only in keeping the peace, but in making peace as well. The Prime Minister and I reviewed our common efforts to promote genuine political reconciliation within Lebanon and to work toward the restoration of Lebanese sovereignty throughout that troubled nation. I cannot overemphasize the importance of the Italian diligence in this crucial effort. We examined the world economy, discussed our respective efforts to deal with the economic challenges we face. I expressed our understanding of the difficult economic problems Italy presently confronts and our support for the tough but essential measures the Italian government is taking to restore balanced and non-inflationary growth. I expressed the hope that our own strong recovery would help Italy lift itself out of its present recession. I have been especially impressed by Prime Minister Croxy's commitment to attack organized crime and narcotics trafficking. We share a crucial interest in efforts to suppress the international traffic in narcotics. According to the Prime Minister and I have agreed to establish a joint Italian-American working group on organized crime and narcotics trafficking. Prime Minister Croxy comes to our shores as an especially welcome guest. In international affairs where the element of personal trust is so essential, such meetings as this are invaluable. I'm delighted to say that the Prime Minister and I have laid the basis today for continuing the open, cooperative, and mutually helpful relationship which has been traditional between our two governments and their leaders. Prime Minister Croxy will visit us today in the quality of the leaders of one of the most narrow and resumé of the United States, Italy, in recent years has emerged as one of the main nations of the Western Alliance. Prime Minister Croxy, assuming the direction of the guide of the Italian people, has soon affirmed which important figure in the world policy. We are really struck by the dynamicity and the quality of the statistics that characterize the leaders of the new Italian government and we are particularly pleased with this opportunity to deepen our consultations and expand our collaboration with our trusted Italian friends. Italy is a role of crucial importance in the NATO effort to re-equilibrate the relationship of nuclear forces in Europe. In our meeting today, Prime Minister Croxy and I went through in a magazine the Treaty on Missiles in Europe, which is in progress between the United States and the Soviet Union. We have reaffirmed our objective, that is, the achievement of an equitable and verifiable agreement. If the Soviet transigence will continue, we are committed to the NATO settlement of the United States Missiles. We continue in the hope that an intention will be added and we will continue in the Treaty even after the initial signings. Indeed, for two years the United States has continued to negotiate in good faith, just while the Soviets have continued to place their nuclear weapons in the theater. Prime Minister, we have also examined the developments in other sectors of the limitation of the weapons. The United States and Italy share a common approach to the next conference on disarmament in Europe, in which we will try to reduce at least the risk of any possible attack of surprise in Europe by operating better observation systems and promoting a better understanding of the military forces and their activities. We strive to obtain further reductions of conventional forces and to establish a relationship of parity in fact of terrestrial forces in Central Europe. I expressed to President Consiglio our deep recognition for the positive contributions made by Italy in the security of the Mediterranean region and for the search for peace in the Middle East. Italy was one of the first nations to offer its armed forces to serve in the SINAI to help in the effort to act on the historic importance of Camp David's Accords in that region. Therefore, the American and Italian soldiers are currently holding together the difficult honor of maintaining peace. We are collaborating not only in the safeguarding of peace but also in the establishment of peace. The Prime Minister and I have examined our respective common efforts to promote a real political reconciliation between the Gulf of Lebanon and to work for a reprisal of the Lebanese sovereignty throughout that worked nation. I could not exaggerate the importance of the leadership that characterized the Italian part in this crucial effort. We have also passed on to the world economy review and we have dealt with our respective efforts to resolve the economic challenges that we have faced. I have expressed our understanding of the economic problems so difficult that Italy is currently facing and our support to Italy for the so spinous but indispensable measures that the Italian government is taking to renew a balanced growth that is free and not inflationary. I have also expressed our hope that our energy recovery would help Italy to rise up the China and get rid of the current recession in Italy. I was particularly struck by the commitment from President Crags in the campaign against the organized crime and drug trafficking. We have in common a crucial interest in every effort to repress the international drug trafficking. That is why I, President of the Council, have determined an intensified cooperation between our respective collaborators to fight more and more the organized crime and drug trafficking. President Crags arrives at our response as a particularly welcome guest in the international affairs in which the aspect of personal trust is so essential. These meetings are of incalculable value and I am very happy to say that the First Minister and I have set the foundation for the continuation of this open relationship and collaboration of Appoggia Mutuo, which has been a traditional capital between our two governments and our respective leaders. Thank you very much. I am particularly grateful to President Reagan for the warm welcome he has given me during my visit to the United States. I consider this welcome as a tribute first of all to the Italian nation. I personally thank President Reagan for the live attention he has given to the members of his government and he has wanted to show them the problems and points of view that he has raised in the name of the Italian government. I have transmitted to President Reagan the message of friendship that the government and the Italian people revolve around the government and the American people, a friendship that belongs to the history of our democratic tradition and together to the future of our people. During the meetings that have been very cordial, open and I think of great utilitarian Cyprus, we have deepened with a common constructive and numerous issues, essential issues for the organization of peace in Europe and the world, problems and prospects of the international economy and the development of the Italian-American relations, issues of common interest for the industrial cooperation and for a deep fight against the great crime and international trafficking of drugs to be connected. The United States and Italy want firmly the peace they consider with absolute conviction as the most precious good for humanity and they are both determined to resolve through a method of pacification the controversies and international conflicts. In the field of the Atlantic Alliance, our governments will operate for that, at the end of the strengthening of peace, to maintain open and commercial prospects in the field of disarmament and the control of armaments, to guarantee peace and security. On the issue that at the moment dominates the relations between the East and the West relative to the nuclear balance in Europe, we intend to maintain a close consultation and constructive solidarity that is in action and develop a line of conduct that is consistent with the decisions already adopted by our countries. We have followed the way of the negotiation that must remain open in any case, also in the presence of a program of modernization of NATO's missile systems, where this was necessary, from the negotiate and negative line of the Soviet Union and the part of Warsaw, our purpose is to continue to solicit the Soviet availability for non-prejudicial treaties in order to reach a reasonable and controlled agreement that is worth guaranteeing a balance of forces established at the lowest possible level. A policy of peace must act in every area of the world, to end conflicts and reduce the most dangerous points of crisis in full respect of the sovereignty of the States and of the rights of the people. In this logic, Italy intends to ensure its constructive contribution, assuming, as in the case of Sina and Lebanon, direct responsibility in a humanitarian and peaceful mission for a perspective of unity, independence and reconstruction of Lebanon. But a policy of peace must naturally connect with a wider international cooperation. For this reason, we have confronted our points of view on the difficult phase that crosses the global economy in the prospect of favoring a stable and lasting reprisal. Italy and the United States must promote further development of the volume of their exchanges and of their cooperation, which will make even richer the excellent political relations between our countries. For the purpose of a more effective fight against the great organized crime around the international currents of drug trafficking, which challenges and threatens our societies, a special commission will be instituted and the necessary actions will be predisposed because it can carry out its functions with full efficiency. In today's meeting, President Reagan and I have confirmed the sentiments of friendship that bind our countries, reaffirming the commitment of our governments to the defense of peace. Thank you. I am particularly grateful to President Reagan for the warm welcome accorded me during my visit to the United States. I consider this welcome primarily as a homage to the Italian nation. I also thank President Reagan for the special attention that together with members of his government he has dedicated to the problems and to the views which I've had the opportunity to expose to him this morning on behalf of the Italian government. I myself have conveyed to President Reagan the message of friendship from the government of Italy and from the Italian people, to the government and to the American people also, a friendship that belongs to the history of our democratic tradition as well as to the future of our two countries. During our talks which have been friendly and open and I believe reciprocally very useful, we have carefully examined with mutual constructive hopes several matters. These matters are essential to attain peace, both in Europe and in the world, problems and prospects of international economy, the development of Italian-American relations, issues of common interest for industrial cooperation and for an in-depth struggle against crime and the international drug traffic connected to it. Both the United States and Italy are firmly seeking peace which they consider with absolute conviction the most precious gift to mankind and are both committed to solve international problems and disputes through peaceful means. Within the framework of the Atlantic Alliance, our two governments will work toward strengthening peace aiming to maintain open prospects for negotiations in the field of disarmament and arms control so as to guarantee peace through security. On the question of nuclear balance in Europe, which presently is the most important in East-West relations, we intend to maintain the present system of close consultation and of constructive solidarity and to develop a line of conduct coherent with decisions already adopted by our countries. We have followed the path of negotiations which must remain open in any case. Should a launching of the program for the modernization of NATO missile systems occur due to the negative negotiation policy followed by the USSR and by the Warsaw Pact, our intention is to continue to urge Soviet willingness towards serious negotiations without preconditions aimed at achieving a reasonable agreement providing for some means of control and some guarantees toward an equilibrium of the agreed forces at the lowest possible level. A policy of peace which must operate in every region of the world so as to terminate conflicts and to reduce the most dangerous fictions in full respect of the sovereignty of nations and of the rights of peoples. In this spirit, Ely intends to assure its constructive contribution by taking upon itself direct responsibilities in humanitarian and peace missions such as it's the case for the Sinai and Lebanon aimed at achieving unity, independence and the reconstruction of Lebanon. However, a policy of peace must necessarily be linked to a wider international economic cooperation. This is why we have compared our points of views on the difficult period of the world that the world economy is experiencing in view of fostering a stable and lasting recovery. Italy and the United States must promote a further increase in the volume of their trade and cooperation which will further strengthen the excellent political relations already existing between our two countries. Also in view of an ever effective fight against organized crime which is involved in international drug traffic and which is challenging and threatening our societies, a special joint commission will be set up and the necessary steps will be taken so that it may operate in the most effective way. In our meeting today, both President Reagan and myself have reaffirmed the feeling of friendship which binds our two countries. We are affirming the commitment of our governments for the safeguard of peace. Thank you.