97 STAT. 1610 PROCLAMATION 5083—AUG. 11, 1983 curing the independence of the United States in fulfillment of the obliga- tions it assumed in the Franco-American Alliance of 1778. The American Peace Commissioners who negotiated the Treaty—John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay—carried to Paris the aspirations of a peaceful Nation willing and able to defend its sovereignty. The brave Americans who fought for our Nation's independence ensured that Adams, Franklin, and Jay could negotiate from a position of strength to achieve an agreement with just and equitable provisions. Their efforts gained respect for the United States among nations of Europe and the world—an achieve- ment considered the greatest triumph in the history of American diplomacy. The Treaty of Paris was the first step toward an alliance with Great Britain which has grown stronger through two centuries to become one of our most important alliance relationships. Political, cultural, economic, and defense ties between our two nations are firm and lasting. The solidarity we and all our allies demonstrated at the recent Williamsburg Summit is the heritage of the Treaty of Paris and confirms again our Nation's willingness to pursue peaceful relations and our desire to befriend those others who share our commitment to democracy and liberty. In tribute to the remarkable accomplishments of the Treaty of Paris, the Ante, p. 409. Congress of the United States, by House Joint Resolution 321, has author- ized and requested the President to issue a proclamation which would des- ignate September 3, 1983, as a day of national celebration of this monumen- tal document. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate September 3, 1983, as a day to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Paris, and I invite the people of this Nation to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies to honor the spirit of peace and liberty which the Treaty represents. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighth. RONALD REAGAN Proclamation 5083 of August 11, 1983 Minority Enterprise Development Week, 1983 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation The entrepreneurial spirit underlies our free enterprise system and is one of the principal sources of America's strength. Ownership of one's own business is an aspiration held by many Americans. Minority Americans share fully in this aspiration. The success of minority business enterprise demonstrates that hard work and individual determina- tion can serve as a powerful engine for social mobility and economic prog- ress. As a Nation, we are indebted to minority entrepreneurs for their contribu- tions to our economic well-being. They bring innovative products and serv-
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