Issues for the Future

Within our evolving Atlantic community, we must deepen and extend our unity to complete the transition from American predomi nance to a more nearly equal partnership, sharing the responsibilities of leadership; to reaffirm our commitment to cooperative economic and political relations across the Atlantic as a Western European entity emerges; to intensify our collective attack on the problems of modern society and expand it into a worldwide collaboration.

In the security field, following through on the conclusions of our joint review of alliance defense, we must insure that our common strategy is backed up by the force levels and qualitative improvements required to make it credible, and share the common defense burden equitably.

For a wider partnership and true security in Europe, continuing our quest for reconciliation between East and West, we must continue our close allied consultation as SALT and other East-West negotiations progress; harmonize our individual approaches to insure that they are complementary, and preserve the cohesion and stability which make detente possible; seek to engage our adversaries in negotiations addressing the concrete issues that keep Europe divided.

I have repeatedly emphasized that the Nixon Doctrine is a philosophy of invigorated partnership, not a synonym for American withdrawal. Our relationship with Western Europe proves it.