Remarks to Members of the 14th Mexico-United States Interparliamentary Conference.

Ladies and gentlemen, and all of our distinguished guests from Mexico, and also, of course, our guests from the United States:

We welcome you very warmly to this reception. At the conclusion of the remarks that I will make, and also the conclusion of the response, I hope to have the opportunity, along with Senator Mansfield and Congressman Wright, the ranking Congressional people from our side, to meet all of you before the reception in the State Dining Room.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Nixon will not be able to join us for the reception, because just 10 minutes ago, she started to have a reception--or was supposed to---across the street at Blair House for another group of visitors. But I asked her to delay her departure for that reception for a personal reason that all of you will, of course, understand.

I have visited Mexico twice as President, twice as Vice President, and many, many times as a private citizen. But the most important time was when Mrs. Nixon and I came there 34 years ago on our honeymoon.

And we thought it was such a good idea, we came back 25 years ago for a reunion there. And Dr. Kissinger thought it was such a good idea that he went there this year for his honeymoon.

So, with those personal references, Mrs. Nixon will beg your permission to leave because I know she would like to meet all of you, and I will then continue with my remarks.

For 14 years, the parliamentary groups from Mexico and the United States have been meeting. And I have had the privilege in 1972, and then again in 1974, to welcome the group here. These meetings are very appropriate because we are such close neighbors geographically.

But our relationship is more important than simply official and geographical. There are bonds of friendship which bind us together. It does not mean that we do not sometimes have differences on such matters as the use of the Colorado River water, et cetera.

But we have learned to settle our differences and settle them always at the conference table in a peaceful way.

And I am very happy that since our last meeting that our Special Ambassador, Mr. Brownell¹ working with your representatives was able to work out an agreement with regard to certain aspects of the salinity problem between the United States and Mexico. And I am confident that the representatives here from the Senate and House of the United States will see to it that that agreement is approved on June 30, which is the date for its approval.

¹Herbert Brownell was the President's Special Representative for the Resolution of the Colorado River Salinity Problem With Mexico.

Another factor that is very different from one that has usually been the situation with regard to our meetings is that this is the first meeting I have addressed in which the United States is at peace with all nations in the world.

This means that we can work with you, our very close friends and neighbors to the south, and all nations in the world for a permanent structure of peace.

To build that permanent structure of peace requires an attitude which our friends in Mexico have had for many, many years, and that is to be able to establish some kind of dialog even with those nations with whom you have very great differences. That is why the United States has moved forward in a dialog with the leaders of the People's Republic of China, representing one-fourth of all the people who live on the Earth. That is why we have had two meetings at the summit with the leaders of the Soviet Union, and another one that will occur in June. These two great nations, representing great peoples, have very significant differences, profound differences insofar as their systems of government are concerned as compared with our system of government.

But in the kind of world in which we live, it is essential if we are to have any chance for peace to survive, that nations that have differences in political philosophies learn to talk about those differences, rather than to fight about those differences.

But we must go beyond that. It is essential that all the peoples of the world devote their efforts to the challenges of peace, working cooperatively against those various problems which plague all of our civilizations in one way or another.

So, whether it is in the problem of combating hunger by increasing food supply, whether it is the problem of developing the energy supplies of the world, whether it is the problem of cleaning up the environment of the world, whether it is the problem involving all of us in terms of better health for all the people of the world, these are problems that should never divide peoples, regardless of our systems of government. These are problems that all of us should work together to solve.

And while, of course, great attention is paid to the efforts that we have been making to work toward solution of these problems, working toward a new dialog with great nations like the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China, with which the United States has not had good relations in the past, let us never forget that the fact that we are talking to nations who have been our adversaries does not mean that we have lost our interest in, or our affection for, or our primary interest in our friends.

And we hope that Mexico and the United States can set an example of two great peoples working together in meeting the challenges of peace, because we know that we can accomplish far more working together than working separately.

I say that based on many things, but particularly because of my recollection of the enormous contribution that has been made to the United States, to our great and diverse population, by those of Mexican background.

And so today, I say to you, we are not here as two peoples, but as one people. We may speak a different language. We may have different backgrounds. But we are devoted to the same great goals: peace in the world for all people and a higher standard of living for all people in the world.

And you, as the parliamentary leaders of your great country, I am sure, will work with our leaders in making suggestions for new approaches, new approaches which not only will mean better relations between our two countries but which will provide that example of friendship and cooperation between two great neighbors which will be an example for relations between all countries in the world.

I have only one regret as I conclude my remarks--that I do not address you in Spanish. But to show you the tradition that we have, at least in our State of California, both of my daughters' second language is Spanish--both speak Spanish-and that is true of almost one-third of all of the students in the United States of America today.

And I will simply close with one of the few Spanish phrases that my friend, Mr. Barnes, says I pronounce correctly. Estan ustedes en su casa [You are in your own house].

Senator Olivares will respond on behalf of the Mexican delegation. And we are very honored to have you, Senator, on this very special occasion.