Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
>> President Obama: Good evening, everybody.
Bonsoir!
Please, have a seat.
I have now officially exhausted my French.
(Laughter) Michelle and I are so honored to welcome
you to the White House as we host President Hollande
and his delegation for this historic state visit
between our nations -- the first in nearly 20 years.
I think we have a translation.
Is that correct?
No?
You don't want me to translate.
(Laughter) Apparently not.
At our press conference today,
I quoted Alexis de Tocqueville -- that son of France
who in 1831 set out across our young country and chronicled
our American democracy.
And those who are familiar with de Tocqueville
are always amazed by how well he understood this nation
of ours and captured its spirit
as well as anybody ever has.
And tonight, I'd like to share some
of his lesser known observations.
About American dining, de Tocqueville wrote,
"The absence of wine at our meals at first struck
us as very disagreeable; and we still can't understand
the multitude of things that [Americans] succeed
in introducing into their stomachs."
(Laughter)
So some things do not change.
When François came here years ago as a student
to study our fast food, I suspect
he said the same thing.
About the White House, de Tocqueville's traveling
companion wrote, "The President of the United
States occupies a palace that in Paris would
be called a fine private residence."
(Laughter)
And he wrote -- and I very much can
relate to this: "The power of the King of France
would be nil if it were modeled after the power
of the President."
(Laughter)
And the King didn't have to deal
with the filibuster.
(Laughter)
Now, Americans took lessons from
France as well.
One young American lawyer went to Paris
and was deeply moved to see white and black
students studying together.
And that young American was Charles Sumner,
who -- inspired by what he saw in France --
became one of our greatest abolitionists,
helped to end slavery, and is one of the reasons that
all of us can be here this evening as full citizens,
free and equal.
Now, it is true that we Americans have grown
to love all things French -- the films,
the food, the wine.
Especially the wine.
But most of all, we love our French friends because
we've stood together for our freedom
for more than 200 years.
Tonight I again want to pay tribute
to President Hollande for the principled leadership
and personal friendship and courage that
he has shown on the world stage.
Thank you, François.
We started this visit yesterday at Monticello.
And I'd like to end where we began.
Thomas Jefferson wrote, "So ask the traveled
inhabitant of any nation, In what country on Earth
would you rather live?
Certainly, in my own, where [are] my friends,
my relations, and the earliest and sweetest
affections and recollections of my life."
But Jefferson added, "Which would
be your second choice?
France."
Of course.
And so I propose a toast: To our friend and partner
President Hollande, to all of our friends from
France who are here today -- vive la France, God bless
America, and long live the alliance between
our great nations.
À votre santé!
Cheers.
(applause)
>> President Hollande: Mr. President, Dear Michelle,
members of the Congress and French
parliament, ladies and gentlemen --
I hope that translation exists.
(Laughter)
Mr. President, I would like to thank
you for the warm welcome that you have extended
to me and my delegation.
France and the United States of America
are bound by ties of history -- great history
of French citizens such as Lafayette,
who fought alongside the heroes of independence to allow your
dream of freedom to prevail.
The glorious history of the Americans who came
to fight on French soil during the First World
War, and then in June 1944 to liberate the European
continent from Nazi oppression.
This afternoon, it was a great moment and a great
honor to award your Unknown Soldier with the
insignia of the French Legion of Honor
and to award medal to six glorious veterans
of the Second World War.
I promise we shall never forget them.
(Applause)
More recently, after the September 11th, 2001
terrorist attack, France shared America's pain.
On that frightful day, (inaudible)
we were all Americans.
This is the very reason why we endured
together in Afghanistan.
Monsieur le Président, now I will speak French.
I raise my glass in honor of the United States of America,
of the President Barack Obama, Michelle --
long life, the United States.
Vive la France et vive l'amitié entre la France
et les États-Unis.
>> President Hollande (As interpreted): Our two countries
share universal values,
and we have feelings for one another.
We love Americans, although we don't always say so.
And you love the French, but you're sometimes too
shy to say so.
(Laughter)
But we share the same universal values
-- freedom, democracy, respect for the law.
These principles guide our action.
Ever since I took office at the presidency,
we have been defending them together.
In Mali, the French armed forces were able to rely
on the efficient support awarded by the U.S.
soldiers and equipment.
In the Central African Republic, your support has
accompanied our operation aiming at restoring
security in this country, torn by its actions
and violence between religions.
Together, we have removed the unacceptable threat
of an Iranian nuclear weapon, and we have succeeded
in reaching an interim agreement.
In Syria, we together removed -- through
resorting to the threat of force -- the threat
of a worsening situation, and we managed to force the
regime of Bashar al-Assad to accept the destruction
of his stockpiles of chemical weapons.
And again, together, we are looking resolutely
together for a political outcome
so desperately needed.
Together, the French and the Americans, also want
to work for growth and to introduce new rules that
will prevent financial crises and enable
us to fight more efficiently against tax evasion.
First, results are here, and the strength and
robustness of the American economy is a source
of hope for all developed countries.
Provided that we open up our markets
and intensify our trade, we will succeed.
Together, we will also rise to the challenge
of climate change.
Paris will be hosting
the Climate Change Conference in 2015.
It is up to us to convince our major partners
to take the necessary steps before it is too late.
And I know, again, that I can count
on your commitment.
Mr. President, the relations between
our two countries have reached an exceptional level
of closeness and confidence, and there is one simple
reason for that: We share the same vision
of the world and we show mutual respect.
The United States of America and France
are two great nations.
What is expected of them is to keep a promise,
a promise of freedom and the promise of progress,
and also to keep a dream alive -- that same dream made
by Jefferson, Washington, Lafayette and the French
revolutionaries -- a dream to change the world.
By uniting our forces, by uniting our talents,
we will be able to keep the flame of hope alive.
I raise my glass to the
President of the United States of America
and to Michelle Obama.
Long live the United States!
Long live France!
(Applause)