Office of the Historian

55. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union1

Washington, March 27, 1971, 0135Z.

51640. Subject: Indian Ocean: Secretary–Dobrynin Conversation, March 26. Following is uncleared, FYI, Noforn, subject to revision upon review. During discussion with Secretary prior to his return to Moscow to attend 24th Party Congress,2 Dobrynin raised question of Indian Ocean. He did so by referring to recent international conference on this subject held at Georgetown University in Washington.3 Dobrynin commented that Soviets had at times been accused of sinister motives in this area. Dobrynin said he wished to ask informally whether USG might be interested in idea of a pronouncement or declaration to the effect that this area should be kept free of major-power competition. He asked whether U.S. would have any strong opposition to declaring that Indian Ocean remain “free of military bases and fleet concentration.” He noted that Indians, Ceylonese and some others had expressed interest in such a possibility.4 Dobrynin emphasized that he was advancing these queries informally but was interested in our reaction since he would be seeing Gromyko during Party Congress which convenes on March 30. Secretary said he had no comment at this time.

Rogers
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, DEF 15 IND–US. Confidential; Limdis. Drafted on March 26 by Adolph Dubs (EUR/SOV) and approved by Richard T. Davis (EUR). It was repeated to Canberra, Colombo, Djakarta, London, and New Delhi.↩
  2. Documentation on Dobrynin’s conversation with Rogers is scheduled for publication in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XIII, Soviet Union, October 1970–October 1971.↩
  3. Indian Ocean Conference, Center for Strategic and International Studies, held in Washington, March 18–19. Several of the papers presented at this conference are summarized in an April 14 memorandum from Kennedy to Kissinger. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box CL 304, National Security Council, Feb–Aug 1971)↩
  4. Presumably a reference to Bandaranaike’s January 21 speech before the Commonwealth Conference. (Telegram 170 from Colombo, January 22; National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 15–1 CEYLON)↩