367. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations1

236005. Subject: US/USSR Consultations on Convening of ME Peace Conference.

1. We agree that it would be desirable to give Waldheim a status report on where matters stand with respect to U.S./USSR consultations on the question of convening a peace conference. You may inform Waldheim of the following:

2. Since Secretary’s conversation with SYG,2 U.S. and USSR have continued their consultations with the principal parties concerned. We cannot report formal approval as yet since a number of the details are still being worked out. We do have an agreement in principle to attend the conference from the Israelis and the Jordanians, and we expect, now that the Arab summit is over, positive formal replies at an early date from both Egypt and Syria. However, there are still a number of details to be worked out. Our target is early next week for an announcement on the convening of the conference in mid-December, probably December 18 in Geneva.

3. As to the United Nations’ role, which concerns Waldheim, as indicated by the Secretary both we and the Soviet Union favor UN involvement. You can tell him we are focussing on this question further, and do not exclude the possibility of the chairmanship for the SYG. We have been using our influence with the Soviets in this direction.

Rush
  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1179, Harold H. Saunders Files, Middle East Negotiations Files, Middle East—1973 Peace Negotiations, December 1, 1973 thru December 5, 1973, [2 of 2]. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by Sisco, cleared by Pickering and Popper, approved by Kissinger.
  2. Kissinger met with Waldheim in New York on November 23.