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Remarks at the Swearing In of Robert Ellsworth as United States Permanent Representative to NATO.

May 21, 1969

Members of the Congress, members of the diplomatic corps, ladies and gentlemen:

We are here today for the purpose of swearing in Mr. Robert Ellsworth as the American Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Judge Hart of the District Court will administer the oath and Mrs. Ellsworth will hold the Bible.

[At this point, Judge George L. Hart, Jr., of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia administered the oath of office. The President resumed speaking, as follows:]

Ladies and gentlemen, as Mr. Ellsworth now has officially taken the oath, he is Ambassador Ellsworth and I would like to say a word with regard to the significance of this appointment.

He came to the Congress in 1961 and served there for 6 years. While he was in the Congress he showed a particular interest in and understanding of the problems of the North Atlantic Alliance, and after he left the Congress in the year 1967, he traveled with me to Europe in a major fact-finding trip that I made at that time.

As you know, he has been an Assistant to the President on the White House Staff for the past 4 months. His appointment should signify to all of those in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and also to the people of the United States the deep personal interest that I, as President of the United States, have in the NATO Alliance.

He is a close personal friend and associate, but more than that, he is one who is deeply interested in the Alliance and he is one that I know will represent this country well in terms of our interest, but even more important, who will represent to the President of the United States, from the members of the Alliance, their views and provide that indispensable consultation which is vitally important if we are to have a continuing strong NATO Alliance.

I am sure Mr. Ellsworth would like to say a word before he undertakes his responsibilities.

Note: The President spoke at 10:10 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White House. Ambassador Ellsworth's response is printed in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (vol. 5, P. 725).

Richard Nixon, Remarks at the Swearing In of Robert Ellsworth as United States Permanent Representative to NATO. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/239178

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