Ladies and gentlemen of the press:
We have invited you here on Saturday morning because this is more than a routine trip by a Secretary of State. This is the first time that the Secretary of State of the United States has paid a state visit to Africa. And while Secretaries of State have been in various countries in Africa and other parts of the world, this is the first time a state visit of this magnitude has been made by a Secretary of State.
This indicates the enormous importance of Africa--its 330 million people, its 43 countries--to the future of the world, its peace, its progress and prosperity.
It also indicates the high priority that this administration places on development of effective programs of cooperation with the nations of Africa.
When the Secretary returns, he will be making a report to the Nation and to the National Security Council and we will be developing African policy based on his findings.
But right now we wish him and Mrs. Rogers and all the members of their parties the very best as they go on this historic and very important journey.
Note: The President spoke at 8:42 a.m. in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House. Secretary Rogers' response is printed in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (vol. 6, p. 146).
Secretary Rogers visited 10 African nations before returning to the United States on February 23, 1970. On March 26, 1970, he submitted a policy statement on Africa to the President for approval. The text of the statement is printed in the Department of State Bulletin (vol. 62, p. 513).
Richard Nixon, Remarks on the Departure of the Secretary of State to Africa. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/241125
