Vice President Mondale's Trip to Europe - Statement on the Vice President's Trip

I leave for London later this week for summit talks of the very greatest importance to this Nation's international political and economic interests. These talks are central to the priority steps I am taking in the first year of my administration with our friends and allies to ensure the greatest possible understanding, cooperation, and progress in our common interests.

I am very pleased to announce today that I am asking Vice President Mondale to undertake an important overseas mission in my behalf later this month.

The Vice President will be traveling to Portugal, Spain, Austria, Yugoslavia, and the United Kingdom on a mission that will enable this administration to pursue as effectively as possible additional foreign policy objectives that are also central to the goals of my administration. In Lisbon and Madrid, the Vice President will continue the important consultations we have 'begun with the Portuguese and Spanish Governments. I believe I speak for the American people when I say how very deeply encouraged we are by the return to democracy in Portugal and by the steps Spain is taking to build a true and just democracy. We value the closest possible consultations with these governments at this important time in their histories-consultations which will enable us to build on our cooperation in all fields of mutual interest.

The Vice President's visit to Vienna, Austria, will have two prime objectives. We view Austria as a good friend of the United States. I have the highest respect for the Austrian Chancellor, Bruno Kreisky, whom I regard as an important international statesman. And I have asked the Vice President to meet with the Chancellor and other leaders of the Austrian Government not only for bilateral consultations but also so that we may have the benefit of their views on a number of important international issues.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I had asked the Vice President to play a key role, in close coordination with Secretary Vance and Ambassador Young, in the development of the administration's policy toward Africa. In keeping with that role, the Vice President will meet with Prime Minister Vorster of the Republic of South Africa while he is in Vienna. Prime Minister Vorster, like ourselves, has an interest in meeting to discuss developments in southern Africa. We have been working closely with the British Government on Foreign Secretary Owen's efforts to make progress on Rhodesia. Separately, we have been working closely with the British and other governments on the issue of Namibia. The talks in Vienna will enable the Vice President, in my behalf, to discuss these complex issues with the South African Prime Minister and to state our views on the crucial role which can be played by the South African Government in bringing the needed changes in southern Africa.

In this regard we are very grateful to Prime Minister Kreisky for the hospitality being given by the Austrian Government.

The Vice President's visit to Yugoslavia for talks with President Tito and members of the Yugoslav leadership will mark the first high-level U.S.-Yugoslav consultations under my administration. The U.S. places importance on Yugoslavia's independence, political unity, and territorial integrity, and we recognize Yugoslavia's and President Tito's vital role in providing leadership to the nonaligned world. I believe these early consultations with President Tito will be of great value.

Finally, I have asked the Vice President to include a stop in the U.K. to continue the close consultations we are conducting with the British Government on developments related to southern Africa.