Office of the Historian

97. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Eliot)1

Washington, January 17, 1971.
  • SUBJECT
    • Report on Kosygin–Muskie Meeting2

The President has asked for an immediate full report on the Kosygin–Muskie meeting as prepared by his Ambassador in Moscow. He considers it totally unsatisfactory to have to wait for Senator Muskie’s interpretation of the discussion and anticipates that Ambassador Beam will have a full report from the Ambassador’s perspective available for his review by the opening of business on Monday, January [Page 291] 18.3 Ambassador Beam’s report should include a summary of the full range of discussions as the Ambassador understands them to have occurred, including the Middle East, Germany and SALT.

Please take immediate steps to insure that the Ambassador’s report is available for the President by the opening of business tomorrow morning.4

Alexander M. Haig

Brigadier General, U.S. Army
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL US–USSR. Top Secret.↩
  2. On January 17, the New York Times (p. 23) reported that Muskie found Kosygin “an easy man to talk with,” while the Washington Post (p. 11) noted that the Senator was “heartened” by his talks in Moscow, which included discussion of the Middle East, Berlin, and SALT.↩
  3. In telegram 8117 to Moscow, January 16, the Department asked for “fullest possible report on meeting as soon as available.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, LEG 7 MUSKIE) The Embassy replied in telegram 323 from Moscow, January 17: “Codel asked Emb not to report since Senator personally reporting to Secretary immediately on return.” (Ibid.)↩
  4. Eliot wrote on the memorandum: “Secretary informed by phone.” Eliot instructed Beam accordingly in telegram 8191 to Moscow, January 17. (Ibid.)↩