377. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Kissinger and United Nations Secretary General Waldhein1
K: I didn’t get the message yesterday that you had called and I am sorry I did not return your call.
W: That’s ok. I was informed by the major belligerent of the text of the draft agreement2 and I have to feel that—
K: Wait, there is no draft agreement. We are discussing it with them.
W: I thought I should mention it to you and it was an Egyptian source. Today they requested a meeting with me . . . and I wanted to check with you.
K: I don’t know what version they have shown you.
W: The text that says the conference will start on the 18th in Geneva then that two parties are seeking the Security Council to—
K: No. We disagree with that. We do [not?] think there should be a Security Council meeting . . . it should be done on a consensus basis.
W: The non-aligned, and this is the other aspect, has had a meeting this morning and has prepared a draft text of Security Council resolution which will take . . . and then express hope that the Secretary General will play a useful role in the conference and so on. This is something they discussed this morning. I got the text confidentially and I thought it was important for you to know that they are working on this. They arethat they have nothing til now and in the afternoon at 5:00 they are coming to see me, the Chinese are coming to see me this morning and they are worried about the fact that the Council has not heard anything further and that the Council will not have enough time to study the matter.
K: In what way can the Council study the matter, it won’t be the first time in history.
W: All in all they are really ready to cooperate and they are worried that they will be confronted at the last minute to take steps and they want to have enough time to develop the matter and give me a blanket message. They understand that it is in interest of cause to give [Page 1035] the Secretary General a blanket good will message and to leave it to him. That is the best.
K: The difficulty is there isn’t any agreed text and you have been shown an Egyptian proposal. We haven’t accepted it.
W: I see. It says a co-sponsorship under the auspices of the US and USSR and they gave me the impression that this is an agreed text.
K: That is not my impression.
W: I thought it important to tell you this and it is interesting to know the feeling in the Council. I just had a talk with Ceausescu and he expressed role of the UN.
K: Their solicitude is touching but they haven’t expressed it before.
W: The members of the Council, not only the non-aligned, they want to _________ that it is called under UN auspices but that we just offer a roof.
K: What the French and British want is to be involved with no responsibilities.
W: I am glad you are clarifying the situation to me. What they said is they are afraid you will give us this information and they . . .
K: That is not the intention. Thank you for being so meticulous in keeping me informed. I will let you know as soon as I have some more information.
W: May I say that—
K: Mr. Secretary General I am surrounded by a bunch of busy bodies. There is no agreement. They are trying to protect me. If I come I will come for two days.
W: I did instruct my man in Geneva that he can take the necessary measures for having the meeting at the UN but he can’t say this has been decided.
K: That is correct.
W: Well, thank you for calling back and I wish you a successful visit.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Transcripts (Telcons), Chronological File, Box 24. No classification marking. Blank underscores indicate omissions in the original. Kissinger was in Washington; Waldheim was in New York.↩
- See the attachment to Document 373.↩