1. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Vietnamese Ambassador (Phuong)1
AP: Hello, Dr. Kissinger, Amb. Phuong here.
HK: Yes, how are you?
AP: And congratulations on your work and signing in Paris—you watching it on television?2
HK: I watched part of it.
AP: Yesterday I was asked to a television interview—
HK: To what—
AP: —26
HK: You’re supposed to do what on the 26th?
AP: I had a television interview—
HK: Oh you had a television interview?
[Page 2]AP: Yes, last night.
HK: Oh good.
AP: Asked me about the bombing and the peace with honor and I said this is what the mission set and—but I think—amount of compromise—we did some things and the other did get some things. And then thanked the American people for the support—I thanked the American (?) leadership and Mr. Nixon who has been working hard for the agreement—
HK: Well that’s very generious of you and I appreciate it.
AP: And I think we have to do something here later—
HK: No question. And that is our policy as you know.
AP: This morning I was very worried about the—Tay Ninh—
HK: It’s not true.
AP: But it looked like we have recaptured it.
HK: I don’t think it fell.
AP: I got a cable that says it has been recaptured.
HK: I checked it and it’s not true.
AP: I am very glad about that because if we lost anything today, that would be very, very bad.
HK: Yes, well I would assume you would try to recapture it.
AP: Before morning?
HK: No maybe before the day after tomorrow—
AP: Yeh (laughs). You know that Minister Lam will be coming in in plane—
HK: Oh good.
AP: And I have asked Gen. Scowcroft to ask for an audience with Mr. Nixon for Monday.
HK: Monday isn’t possible because the President will still be in Key Biscayne.
AP: I see.
HK: But we will almost certainly be able to do it Tuesday3—
AP: Tuesday—in the morning or?
HK: I will let you know.
[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to Vietnam.]
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Henry A. Kissinger Telephone Conversation Transcripts, Box 18, Chronological File. No classification marking.↩
- Secretary of State Rogers signed the “Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam” in Paris on January 27. For the full text of the Agreement, see Department of State Bulletin, February 12, 1973, pp. 169–188. Live television coverage of the ceremony began in the United States at 9:30 a.m. The Agreement had 23 articles in 9 chapters. In Chapter I, Article 1, all countries agreed to respect the independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Vietnam. Chapter II, Articles 1–7 concern the cessation of hostilities and withdrawal of troops; Chapter III, Article 8 the return of POWs and captured and detained civilian personnel; Chapter IV, Articles 9–14 the exercise of the South Vietnamese people’s right to self-determination; Chapter V, Article 15 the reunification of the country and the relationship between North and South Vietnam; Chapter VI, Articles 16–19 the joint military commissions, the ICCS, and the International Conference; Chapter VII, Article 20 Cambodia and Laos; Chapter VIII, Articles 21–22 the relationship between the United States and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam; and Chapter IX, Article 23 the date of entry into force of the Agreement. Four protocols were annexed to the Agreement: on the removal of mines from North Vietnamese waters, on the functions of the International Supervision and Control Commission, on the ceasefire, and on the return of military and civilian POWs.↩
- January 30; see Document 3.↩