89. Editorial Note
On May 24, 1972, after 3 months of negotiations, the United States and the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic signed an agreement to extend the existing bilateral Air Transport Agreement between the two countries until May 31, 1974. For the text of the treaty, see 23 UST 909.
The major point of contention in the negotiations had been U.S. efforts to improve the commercial conditions for the operations of Pan American Airlines in Czechoslovakia. On May 22 Robert Livingston and Robert Hormats of the National Seurity Council staff reported to Presidentʼs Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs Alexander Haig: “Since the Czechoslovaks were unable to improve conditions for PanAm in Prague, we insisted, as a condition for extending the Agreement, on subjecting the Czechoslovak airline to certain limitations in this country.” (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 672, Country Files—Europe, Czechoslovakia, Vol. II 01 Feb 70—)