312. Memorandum of Conversation0
SUBJECT
- United States Strategy at the 17th General Assembly
PARTICIPANTS
- The President
- The Secretary
- Harlan Cleveland—IO
- Ambassador Stevenson
- Arthur Schlesinger
- Joseph J. Sisco—UNP
The following principal points emerged from the discussion with the President on US strategy in the United Nations at the 17th General Assembly.
[Here follows discussion of other subjects.]
5. Colonial Questions
The President agrees we should oppose sanctions as a way for the Assembly to deal with Portuguese colonial policy and the South African questions. He also agrees we should attempt to get the Soviets off the Committee of 17 on the assumption that we would also do the same. The Secretary reported we had made no progress in our negotiations with the Portuguese on the Azores base and that they have linked this question with the United States position in the United Nations on colonial questions. The Secretary said we want to make a strong effort to get the Azores base negotiations completed before the General Assembly gets involved in a number of the Portuguese colonial questions. The President agreed we should see how far we can get with the Portuguese on this matter, although he was not disposed to make concessions on the colonial issues if the Portuguese were not going to make any movement towards moderation and were going to use the base negotiations as a means of exerting pressure on us.
[Here follows discussion of other subjects.]
- Source: Department of State, AF/AFI Files: Lot 64 D 467, United Nations 17th GA, Pol 1, General Policy, US. Confidential. Drafted by Sisco and approved by the White House on August 29 and by the Office of the Secretary of State on August 27.↩