67. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin1
D: Good morning, Henry.
K: We didn’t carry Siberia.2
D: Oh. My impression on the contrary, it carried all my country because even now in my Embassy I am listening “Four more years, four more years.”
K: Is that what you’re saying?
[Page 234]D: Exactly. In my Embassy everybody is shouting with beginning four years this 12 o’clock at night. So I hear even from Moscow the same—I mean, the same sounds. Did you receive—there was a message from Mr. Podgorny to President.
K: I haven’t received it yet, no.
D: No. There is a message. It’s—I could give you but it’s technical information but they send it through telegraph in this case.
K: Right.
D: It get to me. It goes like this one. “Mr. President: Please accept our congratulations on the occasion of re-electing you on the post of the President of the United States of America. I note it with the greatest respect of the process of a building relations between our two countries. A firm foundation for each was laid down by the summit meeting in Moscow in May. We would like to express the conviction that in the coming period the third American relation will receive further favorable development in the interest of the Soviet and American peoples, in the interest of the international security and the peace throughout the world. And it’s signed Podgorny.”
K: Well, that’s a very warm note and it exactly reflects our own attitude.
D: Yes, it—
K: And you can tell your leaders that accelerating even further the improvement of relations will be one of our principal objectives.
D: I definitely will.
K: And this you know to be the case.
D: Yes.
K: And it will be one of our principal goals.
D: And my best regards to you personally, Henry.
K: Thank you.
D: And to President. And I am looking for 4 more years to work with you together.
K: I look forward to working with you as we have in the last years.
D: Definitely.
K: . . . one of our most satisfactory relationships here.
D: Thank you very much. I will convey them to Moscow to Brezhnev and to Podgorny. What your plans, Henry? Now you are going—
K: I am going to Miami with the President today.
D: Oh, today, yeah. You really think you want in this—I didn’t receive really any—
K: Oh, from Vietnam?
[Page 235]D: Yeah.
K: Oh, yes. They have now proposed November 14th.3
D: November 14th.
K: Yes. And we will accept for the 15th because I’m sending Haig to Vietnam to Saigon.
D: Oh, uh-huh, before.
K: Before because I don’t want again to meet with either Vietnamese party without having the other one under control.
D: Oh, I think this is wise course really. Not to have a second [sense].4
K: So I think this time—
D: It will be in Paris?
K: It will be in Paris. And I think if they come there with a—you know, with a spirit of making some changes but keeping the essence of the agreement, we’ll settle it next time.
D: Yeah, I think. Henry, by any chance to give them preliminary summary of what you are going to do or not yet, you didn’t decide it?
K: We haven’t decided yet whether to do it. Do you think it would be a good idea?
D: Well, I am—This is my personal feeling as I mentioned but maybe now it isn’t when they already give okay maybe it’s not a matter of importance because I really have felt that maybe it was a good idea to show them—
K: Well, between you and me, if they hadn’t accepted it, I might have done that eventually.
D: Yeah, but if they accept, maybe there is no specific need really.
K: Yeah.
D: Because of the different atmosphere.
K: Yeah.
D: When will you be back from Florida?
K: I’ll be back on Monday, I’m sure.5
D: On Monday.
K: Yes.
D: Well, I hope that we will have a chance to meet together to make a look through . . . because by the end of the month I would like to go home for vacation.
[Page 236]K: Definitely. No, we must get together before I go to Paris.
D: Yes. So we could arrange something. But you will be here on Monday. I will give you a call and we’ll arrange it—
K: It probably will have to be Monday because I am leaving Tuesday.
D: Oh, you are leaving. Maybe we can arrange a lunch?
K: I think I have a lunch but let’s definitely get together Monday.
D: On Monday. Okay, so I will give you a call in the morning and then you will—
K: We’ll get together Monday afternoon, later afternoon.
D: Okay.
K: Good.
D: Well, once again, Henry, from deep in my heart I really like this development because I really have a very nice relationship—
K: I don’t know whether one can have a feeling of personal friendship with a Communist diplomat but I have it.
D: (laughter) So my best personal regards towards you and to the President. Please regard my personal regards too.
K: Thank you.
D: And thank you very much, Henry.
K: Bye.
D: Bye, bye.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Telephone Conversations (Telcons), Box 27, Chronological File. No classification marking. Blank underscores are omissions in the original.↩
- A reference to Nixon’s November 7 re-election victory.↩
- A reference to the reconvening of the Paris peace negotiations with Le Duc Tho.↩
- Brackets in the original.↩
- November 13.↩