Office of the Historian

209. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Kissinger and the Counselor of the Department of State (Sonnenfeldt)1

Washington, June 7, 1974, 6:35 p.m.

K: Hal, one other thing on that CSCE matter. Sheerer (phonetic) [Sherer] claimed he had no instructions. Which may be true. Now I’ve cleared the instructions You’ve given me here,2 out I wanted to make it a little clearer that he can talk to the NATO caucus and support it, but he also ought to suppose [oppose?] it at the conference.

S: Well, he’ll be alone.

K: First, he has to talk to the NATO caucus.

S: Well, that’s what we promised to do and that’s what he’ll be instructed to go ahead and do now.

K: Good. But in the sense of producing an agreement.

S: Yes. As soon as that goes out, he’ll do that. He wasn’t instructed because …

K: Yes, but he [was?] supposed to take an active role in getting agreement.

S: Yes, he wasn’t instructed because …

K: And he will do that within a day or two of getting his instructions.

S: In the NATO caucus?

K: Yes.

S: He’ll start doing it there.

K: And he will inform then the Soviet person there of where we stand.

S: He’ll keep them informed.

K: OK, good, thank you.

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Henry A. Kissinger Telephone Transcripts (Telcons), Box 26, Chronological File. No classification marking.↩
  2. Kissinger is apparently referring to a draft version of Document 210.↩