PRESIDENT CARTER. This morning the people of the United States are honored by having as our guest a great leader of a great country. President Ceausescu comes here from Romania with his wife, Elena, and it is a great personal pleasure for me on behalf of our country to welcome them.
This is the fourth visit by President Ceausescu to the United States, and my predecessors have honored themselves by visiting the nation of Romania.
It’s accurate to say that in the last 10 years or more, the friendly relationships between the United States and Romania have increased and improved rapidly to the satisfaction and to the benefit of our people.
Trade between our two countries in the last 10 years has been multiplied 10 times over. And because of the rapidly improving relations that still exist, we expect the volume of trade to more than double in the next 3 years.
It’s also of great benefit to me as President to have a chance to consult with a national and an international leader like our guest today. Their influence as Romanian leaders throughout the international world is exceptional. Because of the strong commitments of the President and the independence of the people, Romania has been able to serve as a bridge among nations with highly divergent views and interests and among leaders who would find it difficult under some circumstances to negotiate directly with each other.
One recent notable achievement of President Ceausescu was to be instrumental in arranging the historic visit of President Sadat of Egypt to the capital of Israel in Jerusalem. Both of those countries have found in Romania an avenue of communication and understanding that’s been very valuable to them, to the Middle East, and to world peace.
There are differences, obviously, between the United States and Romania, in our political system and also in our military alliances. But the factors which bind us together are much more profound and of much greater benefit to our countries. We share common beliefs. We believe in strong national sovereignty. We believe in preserving the independence of our nations and also of our people. We believe in the importance of honoring territorial integrity throughout the world. We believe in equality among nations in bilateral dealings, one with another, and also in international councils. We believe in the right of every country to be free from interference in its own internal affairs by another country. And we believe that world peace can come—which we both devoutly hope to see—through mutual respect, even among those who have some differences between us.
Our goals are also the same, to have a just system of economics and politics, to let the people of the world share in growth, in peace, in personal freedom, and in the benefits to be derived from the proper utilization of natural resources.
We believe in enhancing human rights. We believe that we should enhance, as independent nations, the freedom of our own people. And Romania has been instrumental in pursuing the goals of the Helsinki conference, in particular, building the mutual confidence factors that can let the nations of Eastern Europe and the nations of Western Europe understand one another better and build up legitimate trust through that understanding.
We also believe in a common goal-which President Ceausescu has endorsed forcefully and publicly—in the principle of world disarmament, based on mutually beneficial agreements and based on an enhanced prospect for peace.
Mr. President, Mrs. Ceausescu, on behalf of the American people, I want to extend my expression of honor that you are here and the warmest welcome to the United States.
Thank you very much.
PRESIDENT CEAUSESCU. Mr. President, esteemed Mrs. Carter:
It is with particular pleasure that myself, my wife, and the associates accompanying me are visiting again the United States at the kind invitation extended by you, Mr. President, and by Mrs. Carter.
I should like to begin by addressing to you and to the people of America the warmest greetings of the people of Romania, who are most desirous to entertain and develop friendly relations and cooperation with the great people of the United States.
Our visit here takes place at a time when the relations between Romania and the United States have seen continuous progress. Indeed, in the last 10 years, there was a significant growth in our economic exchanges, which have increased almost 10 times over, as well as in our cooperation in the field of science, culture, and in the exchange of citizens between our two countries.
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January 27th, 2012 
VR 
