 Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States and Mrs. Reagan. Ladies and gentlemen, the national anthems of the French Republic and the United States of America. Mr. President, Madam Mitterrand, Mr. Foreign Minister and distinguished guests, Nancy and I are pleased and honored to greet you and Madam Mitterrand. We welcome you as the head of a state who has demonstrated courage and decisiveness in the face of international challenges that test the character of Western leadership. We welcome you also as the representative of the French people for whom all Americans share a special affection. We look out over the White House grounds and we see evidence that the bond between us is deep and has stood the test of time. There in the distance is the Jefferson Memorial, a tribute to America's third president, a founder of our Republic, an intellectual whose ideas were profoundly influenced by his exposure to French philosophy and culture. It is not mere coincidence that this giant of American freedom was one of our first representatives to France. Mr. President, millions of people throughout the world admire and respect your country's historic legacy. Today under your leadership, France continues to be a major contributor to world stability and peace. In this cause, we stand together as two peoples who cherish liberty and two peoples committed to humane and civilized values. Ours is not an easy task. As you have astutely noted, quote, peace like liberty is never given and the pursuit of both is a continual one. In Lebanon, we Americans are proud that we're part of a peacekeeping force working together at great risk to restore peace and stability to that troubled land. We will always remember that in this gallant humanitarian effort, we stood shoulder to shoulder with your brave countrymen. Our nation's two great world powers have responsibilities far beyond our own borders. Your influence is a force for good in the Middle East. You have drawn a line against aggression in Chad and you've extended assistance to other African nations seeking to preserve their security and better the lives of their peoples. These are but a few examples of the constructive global rule that France is playing. Mr. President, the American people applaud you and the people of France for your diligence and your courage. President Mitterrand, you come here fresh from a European Community Summit meeting in Brussels. At this meeting and elsewhere, you exerted your leadership as an advocate of greater European unity. I am most eager to discuss with you our bilateral concerns and also those economic social and political issues of significance to Europe as a whole. America continues to support a strong and united Europe. The European democracies are, through the North Atlantic Alliance, anchoring the mutual defense of our common freedom. Today as in years past, our own liberty relies heavily on the goodwill and shared sense of purpose among those people in the world who enjoy freedom. Victor Hugo's words still ring true. It is through fraternity, he said, that liberty is saved. Clearly, Mr. President, if those who love liberty stand together, strong and resolve, freedom will not only survive, it will prevail. Symbolic of our friendship this summer, America will greet the first contingent of French experts coming to New York to aid in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. This year we will begin celebrating the centennial of that Lady of Light, that magnificent gift, a beacon of liberty for all mankind, is a lasting reminder of that precious heritage that we, the French and American people share. Mr. President, I am pleased that your visit will include travel to parts of America that, as presidents of France, you have not yet been able to visit. You've already seen a good part of our East Coast, especially the Tidewater section of Virginia, which you visited during the celebration of the French and American Alliance at Yorktown, and again, when we met with Summit colleagues at Williamsburg. This week you will go further south to the dynamic city of Atlanta, later north to Pittsburgh. Then you will also journey to America's heartland, the Midwest, the farm country for a first-hand look at American agriculture. And you will travel to the American West Coast and visit our home state of California. Their innovations in energy and electronics, spurred by tax incentives that reward personal initiative and risk-taking, are paving the road to the 21st century in a new era of high technology. It's comforting to know that no matter what changes technology brings to our way of living, the goodwill between our peoples will remain solid and lasting. America is delighted that you have set this week aside to be with us as a friend. During your visit to Washington, Nancy and I look forward to deepening our personal relationship with you and Madame Mitterata and with your colleagues. We offer you a warm welcome and our best wishes for a rewarding and memorable visit. Monsieur le Président, madame, mesdames et messieurs, deux anniversaires en cadre ma visite, celui des traités de Versailles et de Paris en septembre dernier, et celui du débarquement allié en France dans deux mois. On dira, le bazaar fait bien les choses. J'y vois plutôt une conjonction symbolique. Vous le disiez tout à l'heure, il n'y a pas de bazaar dans l'histoire des peuples, et seulement des destinées, et la nôtre, sur tant de points et communes. Aussi ma première pensée va-t-elle vers les Américains L.F. Frère d'Armes, qui de Yorktown, à Beyrouth, ont mêlé leur sang. L'histoire montre que ces sacrifices n'ont jamais été fins, car ils n'avaient pas pour objectif la conquête ou la volonté de puissance, mais la défense des libertés. En dépit de tout cela, nos deux peuples ne se connaissent pas assez. Ce qui laisse parfois la place à des incertitudes. Après m'être entretenu avec vous, Monsieur le Président, je consacrerai donc cinq à six jours à parcourir votre pays. J'y retrouverai bien des itinéraires que depuis 38 ans, j'ai appris à connaître. Mais aussi comprendre son disque.