340. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Soviet Ambassador (Dobrynin)1
D: Did everything go alright?
K: Except for one thing. I am told your Embassy has announced that I am seeing Gromyko alone. That’s what our press people say.
D: I don’t know where they found out.
K: I will just deny it.
D: It is alright with us. Nobody but [omission in transcript] and the Assistant to Gromyko knows about it—nobody else. Maybe Gromyko’s assistant mentioned it to someone. You can deny it.
K: Let’s have an understanding that we will keep it secret!
D: I will assure you that we did not want to make a fuss. He is looking forward to meeting with you. It was not intentional from our side.
K: I just want to make sure you did not make a formal announcement. I was wondering about another thing. What do you think if I bring General Haig along to take some notes?
D: Well, well, well. I would rather you be alone. He will prefer it that way. For me it would not matter.
K: I will come alone.
D: That would be better.
K: I will have to dictate something afterwards.
D: He mentioned to me that the President mentioned that you will …
K: In a general way a response to what you said in the morning.2 You mentioned the trip to me. Oh, among the American group at lunch tomorrow the only person who knows about October 12 thing is the Secretary.
D: Okay. From our side no one knows except the Minister but the two of them could speak about it.
K: But we are not too eager to have it in that channel.
D: I understand but your Secretary may raise it. My minister has no intention to raise it.
[Page 1059]K: Okay, everything is clear and we will not acknowledge my meeting.
D: Okay, because we did not make an official statement. You may do as you choose better. No offense from our side.
K: In the meeting tomorrow … subject you mentioned on the morning of the trip—subject your Foreign Minister mentioned with the President.
D: (There was some double talk on the subject Mr. Kissinger will discuss in the meeting and I did not understand—something about an area which was visited sometimes outside the country.)3
K: Oh, yes. Oh, yes, which we discussed in the morning.
D: Yes. The President said you would discuss it.
K: Also, I will have a few things to say about the first subject your minister raised4 and, of course, any other topic your minister wishes to raise. Good I will look forward to seeing you. (him?)
D: At 5:30.
K: At 5:30. Okay, good.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Henry Kissinger Telephone Conversation Transcripts, Box 27, Dobrynin File. No classification marking.↩
- See footnote 3, Document 336.↩
- Vietnam.↩
- Middle East.↩