THE PRESIDENT. I am very glad to welcome back to our country Vice President Mondale, who has done an absolutely superb job in demonstrating our deep and continuing friendship with our major allies in France and Europe and in Japan.

He has taken messages from me to the leaders of six nations. He has engaged in the same kind of discussions on the same subjects and with the same depth that I would have if I had gone on the trip myself.

I have received constant reports back, both from Vice President Mondale and from the governments and their leaders whom he has visited. And he has done an absolutely superb job. He has made me, and I am sure the Nation, very proud.

My only order to him now is that he go home and get some rest. They have had a very difficult trip, very fast moving. He will be meeting with me tomorrow to give me a complete briefing. And I believe we will have a press conference tomorrow after he meets with me.

But, Fritz, we are proud to have you back home and proud of what you did on this trip.

THE VICE PRESIDENT. Thank you very, very much, Mr. President, for those very, very kind words. I am delighted to be back and especially thrilled that you would honor me by your personal presence upon my return to the United States.

I am also glad that Joan greeted me, as well. I have prepared a separate arrival statement for Joan, which I will deliver at home. [Laughter]

I want to announce to the press, however, that that will not be released to the public because of the highly sensitive nature of the information that I will be carrying back from the leaders of the other countries.

Nine days ago, I left to visit our friends and allies of Western Europe and Japan, under instructions of our new President, to bring the message that we wanted the earliest possible cooperative consultations with our friends. And we wanted to begin the long-term process of a mutual partnership. I can say, Mr. President, that wherever I went, to Brussels, to Bonn, to Paris, to London, to Berlin, to Tokyo, to Reykjavik, we were received warmly. And there is a spirit of optimism and excitement with our friends inspired by your leadership. The Inaugural address and the Inaugural was covered completely and fully throughout the world. They were inspired by your words and inspired by the hope and the opportunity that your leadership affords to our Nation and to the world.

Under your instructions, we were able to begin the consultations necessary for the summit conference and the crucial preparatory work necessary to assure the success of the summit meeting. We were able to hold very important talks leading to further cooperation and economic stimulation to deal with the twin problems of unemployment and inflation that plague so many nations of the world.

I stressed your concern that we move forward in the multilateral trade talks, that we have discussions immediately which we hope will halt the spread of nuclear proliferation and slow down the sale of conventional arms around the world.

I brought your message to NATO of our firm commitment to that alliance and of our intention to work closely and cooperatively with NATO.

It was my great privilege to go to Berlin as your representative and reaffirm the support which you bring and the American people bring for the continuation of a free and secure Berlin. And that was received very, very warmly by the people of that great city.

In visiting all of the leaders of government and Pope Paul, I expressed your strong interest in the humanitarian issues and the issues of human rights. And His Holiness particularly asked me to tell you that he appreciated the strong religious underpinnings expressed in your Inaugural message and strongly endorsed your plea for control of nuclear armaments.

In all of these talks, I came away convinced that our relationships with our friends are on the firmest possible, most hopeful basis. And I come back optimistic and hopeful. I look forward to my full report to you tomorrow.

THE PRESIDENT. Thank you. I am proud of you.
THE VICE PRESIDENT. Thank you.