US-Morocco: longstanding ties - remarks by President Bush and King Hassan II - transcript

US Department of State Dispatch, Sept 30, 1991

President Bush: It is an honor to welcome His Majesty King Hassan to the United States of America. The relationship between our two countries is rich, tracing back more than 200 years to the Moroccan-American Treaty of Peace and Friendship. And that agreement remains the longest unbroken treaty in our history.

Your Majesty, under your leadership, relations between our nations continue to grow and prosper in a variety of fields--in trade and investment, in cultural contacts, and in resolving regional disputes.

This past year has been a world of remarkable change--transformations that have reverberated across every continent. Morocco is stepping forward to meet this new world. You have lowered barriers to increased investment and trade--and begun the privatization of many of Morocco's wholly owned state enterprises. Already, your nation's economic opening has meant new opportunity for American investment--some of it generated by 1989's highly successful OPIC [Overseas Private Investment Corporation] mission to Morocco.

Morocco is also responding to the call to all governments to recognize the rights and freedoms of their people. In this regard, the United States applauds Your Majesty's recent release of political prisoners, your establishment of the Royal Consultative Council on Human Rights in Morocco, and I know Morocco will not be deterred from this courageous course.

Your Majesty, we are pleased to see the UN proceeding with its efforts to resolve the Western Sahara dispute with Morocco's support. It took a great deal of courage for you to agree to the UN Secretary General's plan for a referendum, and I confirm America's willingness to play its role in promoting a just and lasting settlement in the Sahara, in accordance with that plan.

In the Gul, Morocco was among the first to commit forces in defense of Saudi Arabia. And when the issue was still in doubt, Morocco stood on the side of justice and against aggression. Today, I can assure you, Your Majesty, that the United States will continue to work toward a lasting peace in the Middle East.

We now see the real prospect of a peace conference leading to direct negotiations between Arabs and Israelis. That process aims at a comprehensive peace based on UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, and the principle of territory for peace.

We seek to elaborate on this principle to provide for real security and real peace for all states in the Middle East, including Israel, and for recognition of legitimate political rights of the Palestinian people. Your Majesty, I look forward to working with you toward those objectives.

Your Majesty, once again, a warm welcome to the White House. I look forward to our talks, and I want to extend a special welcome to your daughter, who was accompanied you on this visit. And I trust the fruits of our discussion will make the world a better place for her and for all of our children.

King Hassan II [Introductory remarks deleted]: We are delighted to respond to your gracious invitation and to meet with you. Our visit constitutes, indeed, one important link in a series of previous visits during which we have come to establish excellent friendly relations with many of your predecessors. Mr. President, today's encounter will certainly renew and strengthen these relations.

We were no more than a child when we were introduced to President Franklin Roosevelt by our late father, Mohamed V. We never knew personally Presidents Eisenhover, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Carter, and Reagan. Today we are received by you, Mr. President, a dear friend of ours whose distinguished career we have been following attentively. We have been following attentively your career, Mr. President, first when you were appointed Ambassador to China, then CIA director, and Vice President to our great friend, President Reagan, and finally, President of the United States of America. Throughout your career, we have at all times perceived in you a man of rectitude, humility, deep thought, true foresight, and unshakeable faithfulness towards his friends.

It is true that our last visit to the United States of America dates back to 1983. However, during these 8 years, our friendly relations have never been better. It couldn't have been otherwise considering that these relations are as old as your nation. For the 1786 Treaty of Amity and Peace, signed by President Jefferson and our ancestor Mohamed III, has always been and still remains the basis of the excellent rapport existing between our two governments and nations.

What makes this relationship exemplary is the fact that it has never been affected by juncture or vicissitude, nor has it been changing in dimension or level. It has rather been similar to itself, unaffected by world crises and the requirements of the Cold War.

We are looking forward to the talks we shall have with your excellency and with a number of officials from the executive and legislative branch. We have no doubt that these talks will reveal the likeness of our views concerning political and economic issues.