590. Telegram 2617 from USUN, January 51
Pass to White House. Subject: Cuba.
Confirming Plimpton-Cleveland TELECON.
1. Mendelevich and [illegible in the original] (USSR) met with Plimpton and [illegible in the original] Officer at US Mission this afternoon.
2. SOVS said SOV GOVT accepts US draft joint letter without change.
3. SOVS would have liked to have signed today, but on Plimpton’s explaining that US needed time explain [illegible in the original] to NATO before signature, agreed that satisfactory to have letter signed by [illegible in the original] and delivered to SYG Tuesday, on understanding that there would no change in letter and that there would be no publicity by either side until after SYG announced receipt of letter.
4. SOVS agreeable to have Kuznetsov sign Monday a.m. and Stevenson sign Monday afternoon in Washington, with documents returned Monday night for presentation to SYG Tuesday a.m. SOVS agreeable to accepting Plimpton signature, but Plimpton feels much preferable for Stevenson sign.
5. Agreed that two English texts would be signed by both and two Russian texts signed by both, that original English signed text would be sent to SYG and other signed English text retained by US, and that one original signed Russian text would be sent to SYG and other signed Russian text retained by SOVS. [illegible in the original] Each would [illegible in the original] an unsigned copy of the English text [illegible [Typeset Page 1549] in the original] for [illegible in the original], and SOVS would convey [illegible in the original] unsigned Russian text and send the copy to USUN. [illegible in the original] Mendelevich said that [illegible in the original] had no [illegible in the original] of [illegible in the original] of [illegible in the original] or revealing any of the [DOCS—illegible in the original] involved in the [illegible in the original] and [illegible in the original] they regarded the joint letter as finishing the [illegible in the original] documents. If Mendelevich is asked questions as to the [illegible in the original] as a whole, he will of course have no hesitation in explaining the Russian position [illegible in the original] does not [illegible in the original] to say [illegible in the original] other than the final joint letter.
[Facsimile Page 2]7. Plimpton said that we had no intention of [illegible in the original] negotiations or [illegible in the original] to any of the [illegible in the original] and that we could say that the joint letter speaks for itself, presumably [illegible in the original] something to the effect that US position remained as stated by the President in news conference of NOV 20.
7. Russian and English texts being pouched tonight to Washington.
8. COMMENT: We believe SOVS may well produce [illegible in the original] or news conference [illegible in the original] SOV support of Cuba and [illegible in the original] of US position.
- Arrangements for signature of U.S. draft of joint letter. Confidential. 2 pp. USUN Files: NYFRC 84–84–001 1–B December/January Meetings.↩