Secret White House Tapes

580–20

About this recording

580–20
  • President Richard M. Nixon
  • Andrei A. Gromyko
  • Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
  • William P. Rogers
  • Henry A. Kissinger
  • William Krimer
  • Viktor M. Sukhodrev
  • Ronald L. Ziegler
September 29, 1971
Conversation No. 580-20

Date: September 29, 1971
Time: 3:03 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Andrei A. Gromyko, Anatoliy F. Dobrynin, William P. Rogers, Henry A.
Kissinger, William Krimer, and Viktor M. Sukhodrev; Ronald L. Ziegler and members of the
press were present at the beginning of the meeting.

Greetings
38

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)




Photographers
-Arrangement of people

[Photograph session]

The President's previous meeting with Gromyko
-Time
-Berlin Agreement
-Rogers
-Arms control
-US and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]

Meeting agenda
-USSR position, US position

Extension of USSR greetings to the President from Nikolai V. Podgorny, Alexei N.
Kosygin and Leonid I. Brezhnev

Relations between the USSR and the US
-Need for common viewpoint between the USSR and the US
-Bilateral relations
-Soviet leadership
-Effort to overcome differences
-Effort for build-up of relations
-Peaceful co-existence
-Avoidance of confrontations
-Differences in position between the USSR and the US
-Major issues
-Effort towards solving differences
-Progress
-Agreements between four major powers on Berlin
-Previous discussion between the USSR and the US
-US role in achieving agreement on Berlin
-Economic ties between USSR and the US
-Relationships
-Peace between the USSR and the US
-Short-term and long-term goals
-Significance of power of the US and the USSR
-Relationship to world problems
-Cooperation between the US and the USSR
39

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 580-20 (cont.)


-Goals
-Berlin Agreement
-Significance
-Effect on European countries
-Working solution
-Progress between the USSR and US
-Peace between USSR and US
-Brezhnev
-US position
-Peaceful relations with Bolivia and other countries
-World peace
-Relationships between the USSR and the US
-US position
-Importance of face-to-face negotiations
-Berlin Agreement
-Trade relations
-Kama River project
-Appropriations
-Amount
-US businessmen's interest
-The USSR
-Increase in trade
-US position
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] negotiations
-Joint statement of May 20, 1971
-Commitments
-Agreement on defense and offense weapons freeze
-National security
-Defense
-Offensive missiles
-USSR numerical advantage
-Nuclear submarines
-Defensive weapons
-Proposals
-US congress
-Offensive weapons freeze
-Weapons balance
-Importance
-USSR
-Offensive weapons build-up
-US political effect
40

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 580-20 (cont.)


-Freeze
-Agreement between US and the USSR
-Mutual sufficiency
-Anti-missile defense
-Strategic weapons
-Current talks
-Status
-Later negotiations
-Anti-ballistic missiles [ABMs]
-Sites
-Soviet proposals
-National capitals
-Intercontinental ballistic missile [ACBM] locations
-Offensive-strategic weapons
-Soviet position
-Future negotiations
-Continuation of negotiations
-French foreign minister Maurice Schumann's statement at United Nations [UN]
General Assembly meeting
-US-Soviet negotiations
-Strategic arms
-ABMs
-Offensive and defensive weapons
-Lack of balance
-Relationship
-Offensive weapons freeze
-Difference between US and Soviet activities
-ABMs
-Soviet proposal
-Difficulty
-US position
-Continuing negotiation
-Europe
-Need to reduce tension
-Security conference
-Berlin Agreement
-Relationship to all-European security conference
-Statement by Rogers
-Security conference
-Advantages
-Interests for western allies
41

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 580-20 (cont.)


-US, Canada
-Détente in the world
-Berlin Agreement
-Progress
-Effect on other issues
-Conference
-Preliminary discussions
-Warsaw Pact
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
-Consultation with allies
-US-Soviet consultation
-Need for secrecy
-Expectation of outcome by both US and USSR before final
conference
-Consultation on preliminary matters before final conference
-Bilateral consultations
-Examination of topics
-Date
-US position
-Discussions with allies
-Berlin treaty
-Soviet treaty with West Germany
-European security conference
-Purpose
-West Germany-East Germany negotiations
-Linkage of various negotiations
-Preliminary discussions
-Berlin
-Germans
-European security conference
-Preliminary discussions
-Middle East
-Situation
-Israel
-Occupation of Arab territories
-US proposals
-Conditions for peace or settlement
-Withdrawal of Israeli troops from occupied territories
-Freedom of navigation
-End of war situation in Middle East
-Withdrawal of Israeli troops
42

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 580-20 (cont.)


-Dangers for the us and USSR
-Arms build-up
-US congress
-Arms to Israel
-United Arab republic [UAR]
-Interim settlement
-Progress
-Truce
-Avoidance of arms build-up
-Continuation of negotiations
-Withdrawal of Israeli troops
-UN resolution in 1967
-Wording
-Acceptability to Israel
-US position
-The President’s State of the World message
-Rogers’ 1969 comments
-Moderation
-Proposals by Anwar el-Sadat
-Rogers's conversation with Mahmoud Riad
-Troop withdrawal
-Suez Canal
-Interim arrangement
-Possible perception
-Arab leaders
-Specific stages
-Withdrawal of Israeli forces
-Date limit
-Jordan
-Frontiers with Israel
-Agreement
-Israel
-Relationship with the US
-Guarantees
-Biblical Hebrew proverb
-Golda Meir
-Jordan crisis of 1970
-Avoidance of build-up of tension
-Moscow visit by Indira Gandhi
-Pakistan and India
-Refugees from East Pakistan
43

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 580-20 (cont.)


-Situation
-Possible war
-Pakistan military strength
-Historical background of Indian-Pakistani relations
-USSR efforts in the past
-US desire to avoid armed confrontation
-USSR
-Effort toward peace
-Pakistan
-Peace
-Gandhi
-Discussion of issue with USSR
-Leaders of Pakistan
-Discussion with the USSR
-Pakistan
-US-Pakistani relations

Visit to Map Room by the President and Gromyko
-Historic background of use by US President
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-World War II

Economic issues
-Possible visit to Moscow by US Representative
-Trade
-Obstacle
-Vietnam War

Vietnam War
-Status of settlement

Technical and political issues at summit
-Consideration by the USSR

Dobrynin, Kissinger, Rogers, Krimer, And Sukhodrev left at 4:39 pm.

Private discussion between the President and Gromyko

Possible US-Soviet summit meeting
-Progress in negotiations
-SALT negotiations
44

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 580-20 (cont.)


-Middle East
-Progress
-Need for positive accomplishments
-Trade
-Politics

Leonid Brezhnev and Kosygin
-Correspondence between the president and Brezhnev
-Timing of reply
-State department
-Brezhnev
-Career
-Conversation with Gromyko
-Views on Soviet-US relations
-Meeting with Willy Brandt
-Soviet press
-Use of the President’s name
-USSR leadership
-Private correspondence
-The President

The USSR and the Russian people
-Political system
-Future of the world
-The US and the USSR
-Relations with the US
-World War II
-Possibility of new relationship with the US
-Timing

Kissinger's schedule
-Forthcoming meeting with Dobrynin
-Meeting with Gromyko
-Date
-Message from the President
-Vietnam

Foreign relations and issues
-Middle East
-Gromyko’s forthcoming conversation with Kissinger
-European security conference
45

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 580-20 (cont.)


-Handling
-Private channel
-Ambassador
-Secretary of State
-The President’s involvement
-Brezhnev

Middle East
-USSR arms sales
-UAR
-Israeli withdrawal from occupied zones
-Gromyko’s meeting with Brezhnev
-USSR military presence
-Advisors
-Analogy to US presence in Cambodia
-Sensitivity of issues
-Institutional arrangements
-Interim agreement
-UN
-Articles
-Security Council
-Arms sales
-Summary

Kissinger's message on Vietnam
-Private discussion with Gromyko

Middle east

The President and Gromyko left at 5:00 pm.
46

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Secret White House Tapes |

580–20

This recording is currently not available on millercenter.org. To listen to it, please email Mike Greco at mdg4u@virginia.edu

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