Remarks on Departure From India

Mr. President, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen:

As I leave India after this third visit, I leave with a sense of destiny, and also with a greater confidence than ever before about the future--the future for this country--and because this country's future is one that will have such an enormous effect on all of Asia and the world, confidence in the future of the world.

My talks with the Prime Minister, with you, Mr. President, with members of the Government, have been most helpful in establishing a new channel of communication, a new attitude with regard to the relations between our two countries, that I believe means our working together more effectively than in the past for interests that transcend any national concerns, but that go to our desires that we mutually share for peace and friendship, freedom, justice, all of these great principles that go far beyond any country, far beyond any continent, that go throughout the world.

I want to say finally, Mr. President, that Mrs. Nixon and I are most grateful for the warm hospitality that we have received on every side, not only at the magnificent state dinner last night, but also from the hundreds of thousands of people that we saw lining the streets on a hot day, in the middle of the day. To this we certainly want to say our thanks, because we know that this means that we have friends here, personal friends, as well as those who may be friends because of our official position.

We hope to return some day, not only to see this country and its leaders, but to see again our many friends in India. Thank you.