174. Editorial Note
Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko and Secretary of State Rusk held discussions in New York on September 22 and 24, 1966, in connection with the convening of the 21st United Nations General Assembly. Memoranda of their conversations are in the National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Conference Files: Lot 67 D 586, CF 84. The memoranda of their conversations on the outer space and non-proliferation agreements are printed in Foreign Relations, 1964–1968, volume XI, Documents 151–153. The memorandum of their conversation on Vietnam is ibid., volume IV, Document 247.
Rusk reported on his September 24 session with Gromyko in a telephone conversation with Walt Rostow the next morning. Rostow in turn reported to the President in a September 25 memorandum that Rusk believed the details of the civil air agreement could be worked out during October and that the outer space agreement would go through “since Gromyko in a speech made no reference to Soviet reservation about use of the Outer Space Agreements.” In addition, “there was some closing of the gap in non-proliferation language” but “we are not home on this.” As for Vietnam, “no substance; but the atmosphere [Page 419] was extraordinarily calm and quiet. Secretary Rusk says you will wish to study his memo of conversation to get the flavor which, in his experience, was unique for this kind of confrontation.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, USSR, Vol. XIII)