Text 4513, 63 rader
Skriven 2007-05-04 23:31:06 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0705044) for Fri, 2007 May 4
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Vice President's Remarks Welcoming Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
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For Immediate Release Office of the Vice President May 4, 2007

Vice President's Remarks Welcoming Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Jamestown
Settlement Jamestown, Virginia


˙˙˙˙˙ Welcoming Queen Elizabeth II

10:46 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Senator Norment. I appreciate the
introduction and the kind welcome this morning.

This is indeed an historic day for Virginia and for the United States. And
it's certainly a privilege for Lynne and me to join all of you in greeting
Her Majesty the Queen, and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. Your
Majesty, 50 years ago, on your first visit to America as a sovereign, you
were given a very warm welcome. A half-century has done nothing to diminish
the respect and affection which this country holds you. And we receive you
again today in that same spirit. You honor us by returning for this
anniversary of Jamestown Settlement, and we deeply appreciate your presence
this morning.

Four centuries ago, more than a hundred colonists aboard three small ships
were just days from reaching this shore. They'd been at sea nearly five
months, and great hardships awaited them on the banks of the James River.
Yet from the time of their arrival here, the world would never again be as
it was. Inside a little three-sided fort in this corner of Virginia, large
events were set in motion, and great and noble traditions were introduced
in America. So we pay homage to the first English settlement on the North
American shore, and we mark the 14th of May, 1607 as a providential moment
in the life of this nation.

Jamestown began as a commercial venture, yet within a generation, Virginia
was a colony of the Crown. In time, those colonies would be 13 in number,
and together they would become the United States of America. The beliefs
and ways of life observed here were vital in shaping the character of the
nation we know today. And these traditions -- liberty and law; private
property; the spirit of enterprise; and commerce among peoples -- all came
from the island nation that the colonists of Jamestown had called home.

Here at this first settlement, named in honor of the English King, we are
joined today by the sovereign who now occupies that throne. She and Prince
Philip are held in the highest regard throughout this nation, and their
visit today only affirms the ties of trust and warm friendship between our
two countries. Your Majesty and Your Royal Highness: All of us feel very
privileged, and we'll certainly remember this day that we shared your
company. So, on behalf of President Bush and the people of this land, I'm
proud to say thank you for joining us, and welcome to the United States of
America. (Applause.)

END 10:49 A.M. EDT

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