 Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States and Mrs. Reagan. Ladies and gentlemen, the national anthems of the Republic of Portugal and the United States of America. Mr. President, Nancy and I are honored and delighted to welcome you and Mrs. Yanish to the United States. Ever since President George Washington opened formal diplomatic relations between Portugal and the New American Republic, our history has been one of warm friendship. And Mr. President, I know I speak for our people when I say a friendship as warm and true as ours is more valuable than the richest treasure. I've looked forward to this opportunity to get to know you personally and to discuss relations between our two countries, as well as international matters of mutual interest. In the nine years since the revolution of April 25, 1974, Portugal has made great strides in building a vigorous democracy. Today, the fundamental institutions of a democratic country, an open press, a free economy, and broadly based political parties are in place and flourishing. We in the United States recognize, Mr. President, that the establishment of democracy in your country met sharp challenges. Portugal's success in surmounting those challenges demonstrates the courage of your leaders and the love of your people for freedom. And you yourself, Mr. President, have played a large and crucial role during these past nine years. You have stated that Portugal must have an open, clear democracy, and as President, you've labored tirelessly to give Portugal just that. Your efforts have earned you not only a place in your nation's history, but a chapter in the noble story of freedom throughout the world. In foreign relations, our two countries share a number of vital interests, and these will receive due attention during our discussions today. I might note in particular, Mr. President, that your nation's experience in Africa gives Portugal a unique and invaluable perspective on current events on that continent, especially in Angola and Mozambique. Both our nations are actively interested in Southern Africa, and your country has always been generous in sharing with us insights drawn from your own wide experience. During your stay here, I would like to discuss Southern Africa, and I want you to know that the United States not only values the counsel you've given to us on this matter in the past, but intends to remain in close consultation with Portugal about it in the future. Along with our allies, Portugal and the United States share the responsibility of defending the Western world. Our security relationship is critical to the NATO alliance and to both our nations. We in the United States take pride in our military cooperation with your country. Currently, our two governments are negotiating a new security cooperation agreement that will broaden and strengthen our collaboration on common defense objectives. The United States fully supports Portugal's efforts to enlarge its role in Western defense. We recognize that as those efforts proceed, Portugal will need to modernize its armed forces, and we're committed to helping you do so. To take further pride, Mr. President, in the economic cooperation that we have established with Portugal, particularly in recent years, that cooperation expresses the concern of the American people for the well-being of the Portuguese people and this country's unshakable support for your country's economy and democracy. Mr. President, 15 days ago an event took place that sickened people throughout the world. The Korean Airlines Massacre reminds us that although we in the West belong to a community of nations that strives to do good, others in the world do not shrink from doing evil. Let us in the Western Alliance join together to retrieve meaning from those scores of innocent deaths and let us rededicate ourselves to the defense of human freedom. I am confident, Mr. President, that your visit to the United States will strengthen relations between our two countries and reaffirm our commitments to shared goals. I know that my countrymen are eager to give you a warm reception. Nearly half a million Portuguese have come to America as immigrants, and both they and their descendants have earned the gratitude of all Americans by contributing honorably and diligently to the building of our country. So once again, Mr. President, Mrs. Yanish, on behalf of the American people, welcome to the United States. The United States, the Atlantic and the geopolitical concepts that impose the share of the same democratic ideals and the presence in the United States of a significant light colony, establish real affinities and demand in our countries a mutually advantageous approach. It is with great pleasure that I make this official visit to your country, Mr. President, I am sure that it will be an opportunity for an open exchange of points of view on international political evolution and, in a very special way, on the most positive ways to strengthen relations between our two countries. Will it be possible to reaffirm the fidelity of mutual commitments and to strengthen the old cohesion in defense of interests that are not common? This is a demand that the present and the future impose on us. And it is a demand as strong as the action of your excellence, Mr. President, has proved by your courage and by your coherence in defense of the principles of democracy that the values of freedom have in itself a firm defender. Portugal is a country with a long history and a vast political experience. As an independence of the eight centuries, Portugal participated in a complex, long journey that leads to Europe that we know. But with its active presence in several regions of the world that he discovered and helped to know and develop, Portugal has accumulated a practical political knowledge that contributes to our singular way of relationship and understanding with other peoples. In our history, we remove the conviction that is indescribable to the affirmation of freedom of expression and pluralist democracy, the permanent guarantee of human rights, the firmness in the defense of the essential values of our society. But it is also for us, of course, the search for the non-associated solutions to all conflicts, respecting other positions and other cultural patterns, since they have not collided with the autonomy and sovereignty of each people, and express themselves in a common preoccupation of the safeguarding of peace. In recent years, the Portuguese wanted to drop a dictatorship of half a century and managed to overcome new totalitarian attempts through the rigorous commitment to the norms of pluralist democracy at a time when some were already judged as impossible and subjective. They showed the Portuguese that when they give themselves a chance to democracy, a serious and committed opportunity, the totalitarisms that deny the freedom are defeated by the only real and consistent mode to ensure their victory by the free choice of the citizens. But the superiority of democracy tends to be proven equally in its capacity to guide society, adjusting social expectations or what is really possible to organize. When confronted with the impossibility to realize the expectations of the material that judge the victims, or that they were permitted, society or some social groups can, because of the validity of the global models of political organization, thus feeding radicalized tendencies. Only a democratic and legitimate political power, competent and effective, able to ensure the balance of interests, the consensus of the society and the conscious participation, will be able to face the challenges of the reorganization of economies. In this aspect, a series of concerns about the present and the future immediately are in the economic area, both in relation to Portugal, as well as in the Quadra da Aliança, Atlântica and international relations in general. And yet, in this Quadra de Perugupação Democrática Global, which has the right to expect the manifestation of solidarity of democratic countries and in the first line of the United States. In this way, our security will be reinforced, guaranteed a current and future content for the Atlântica Alliance and exemplifying it in many other areas and in practical realities that can count with effective support all the forces and all the projects truly democratic. I am certain, Mr. President, that the exchange of opinions on these and other issues, confirming our alliance, will justify a future of active and committed cooperation. Thus, we demand that this old and fruitful connection be maintained between Portugal and the United States in the benefit of both countries, in the benefit of democracy and peace. The sharing of the same democratic ideals and the presence in the United States of a large and significant Portuguese community creates real affinities and require from our countries a mutually advantageous approach. It is with great pleasure that I pay this official visit to your country, Mr. President. Certain as I am that it affords an opportunity for an open and frank exchange of views on political and international developments and, in a very special way, on the most positive means of strengthening the relations between our two countries. It will thus be possible to reaffirm our loyalty to mutual commitments and to reinforce our long-standing cohesion in the defense of our common interests. This is an objective that is imposed on us by the present and by the future and it is an aim that it is all the more important to attain in as much as your actions, Mr. President, have proved through your courage and your consistency in the defense of democratic principles that the values of freedom have in you a committed defender. Portugal is a small country with a long history and vast political experience. With its eight centuries of independence, Portugal has participated in the long and complex course leading to the Europe we know today. But with its active presence in various regions of the world that it discovered and helped to know and to develop, Portugal has gained practical political knowledge that contributes to our unique way of relating to and understanding other peoples. From our history we draw the conviction that the assertion of freedom of expression and of pluralist democracy, as well as the permanent guarantee of human rights and firmness in the defense of the essential values of our society cannot be called into question. For us, the search for negotiated solutions to all conflicts, respecting other positions and different cultural patterns is also natural, provided that those solutions do not run counter to the autonomy and sovereignty of each people and are expressed in terms of a common concern for safeguarding the peace. In these last few years, the Portuguese overthrew a dictatorship half a century old and managed to overcome new totalitarian attempts through the rigorous fulfillment of the rules of a pluralist democracy at a time when some believed that such an objective was already impossible to achieve. The Portuguese showed that when democracy is given an opportunity, a serious committed opportunity, the totalitarianisms that deny freedom are defeated by the only real and consistent way of ensuring victory, the citizen's free choice. But the superiority of democracy must equally be evidenced in its capacity to guide society, adjusting social expectations to what it is really possible to organize. Societies, or some social groups, when faced with the impossibility of attaining material expectations that they consider legitimate or that have been promised to them, may question the validity of global models of political organization and then nourish radical tendencies. Only a political power that is democratically legitimate, competent and efficient, and able to ensure the balance of interests and negotiated consensus and conscious participation will be able successfully to carry out the tasks of economic reorganization. In this regard, the greatest concern for the present and the immediate future lies in the economic area, both in respect of Portugal and within the framework of the Atlantic Alliance and of international relations in general. And further, it is in that context of global democratic concern that it is justified to expect the demonstration of the solidarity of the democratic countries and, first of all, of the United States. In this way, our security will be reinforced, guaranteeing the present and future substance of the Atlantic Alliance and illustrating in many other areas and in practical realities that all truly democratic forces and programs may count on effective support. I am certain, Mr. President, that our exchange of views on these and other subjects while confirming our alliance will justify a future of active and committed cooperation. I look forward to meeting with you, Mr. President, and discussing with you means for us to carry out this fruitful cooperation in the future between the United States and Portugal. Thank you very much.