175. Letter From President Carter to Panamanian President Lakas1
Your letter is most generous,2 and I am touched by the warm feeling of friendship between us which it expresses.
Together we have reached a new era in the relationship between our two nations. It has not been an easy achievement for either country, but the result was worth the effort; and in the long and trying days that brought us to this moment, the Panamanian people and their leaders won our respect for their goodwill, courage and clear sense of national destiny. This mutual respect between a large country and a small one, earned in a severe test, should give us confidence about the strength and durability of the relationship we have formed. Working together, we have given others reason to hope that they can find common ground in the pursuit of national goals. As the President of Panama, you may justly take pride in your country’s fulfillment of its aspirations of many decades.
I am looking forward to seeing you in Panama to celebrate this occasion.3
Sincerely,
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, President’s Correspondence with Foreign Leaders, Box 15, Panama: President Demetrio B. Lakas, 5/78. No classification marking.↩
- Not found.↩
- See Document 185.↩