690.90D/11–2652
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director of the Office of South Asian Affairs (Kennedy)1
Subject:
- Pakistan’s Relations with Afghanistan, Turkey, and the Middle East.
Participants:
- Mohammed Ali, Ambassador of Pakistan
- SOA—Mr. Kennedy
- SOA–Mr. Metcalf
I asked Mohammed Ali to see me this morning before he leaves for New York to board the “Queen Elizabeth” enroute to London to attend the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ conference. Primarily, I wanted him to arrive in London with two or three thoughts fresh in his mind, including some on Pakistan–Afghanistan relations, Pakistan–Turkish relations, and a reaffirmation of our belief in the advantages of Pakistan’s progressively closer interest in Middle East affairs.
I gave the Ambassador a piece of paper containing some language which I described as perhaps being worthy of consideration by Afghanistan and Pakistan as the basis of a formula by which an Afghan ambassador could be named for Pakistan. (This is the same language that was furnished to Sir Zafrulla by Mr. Byroade during their conversation of November 22.)2 The text of the formula, which is designed to overcome the insistence of Afghanistan to have the Pushtoonistan issue specifically and publicly accepted as a condition precedent to the nomination of an ambassador, reads as follows:
“Pakistan is agreeable to discussing with Afghanistan through diplomatic channels the welfare of the Pushtu-speaking people on both sides of the frontier.”
I said that the Pakistan Government deserved compliments for its recent gestures of conciliation toward Afghanistan, and reiterated the Department’s belief that Afghanistan may well be taking a hard look [Page 1384] at its attitude on the Pushtoonistan issue as a result of the Soviet démarche.
By way of transition I observed that it seemed to me that Pakistan had still another interest in improving its relations with Afghanistan: the salutary effect it would have on other Moslem countries of the Middle East. I said that it was our impression that some of these countries seemed hesitant to support a closer association by Pakistan with the Middle East (in some kind of Middle East defense organization, for example) so long as Pakistan is involved in controversies with other friends of the Middle East.
I went on to say that we believed that Pakistan–Turkish relations in particular could be very beneficial as a stabilizing factor in the Middle East and that Pakistan should explore all means of moving closer to Turkey, including perhaps the training of some of its military personnel in Turkey.3 The Ambassador interjected at this point that this might not be practical in view of the language problem and in view of the different structure of the Pakistan Army which is patterned after the British system. I suggested that nevertheless the merits of such a program might be examined by Pakistan military people.
I then reminded the Ambassador that Turkey places quite a bit of importance on its status as a lay state, and that we hoped that Pakistan’s relations with Turkey would take this factor adequately into consideration. Specifically, we hoped that the recently accredited Pakistan Ambassador to Turkey, whose ultra-religious activities were observed for some years in Tehran, would accommodate himself to the new lay environment of Turkey.
Finally, I reminded the Ambassador of his inquiry in the possibility of expediting shipments of 76 MM shells to Pakistan for use in Sherman tanks which they purchased from us. I said that we had reminded the Defense Department again of Pakistan’s need for a minimum number of this ammunition for training purposes.4
Upon departing, the Ambassador said that he would talk to his Prime Minister in London on the subjects of our conversation today.