301. Telegram From the Mission in Berlin to the Department of State1
Berlin, August 18, 1971,
2250Z.
1667. Strictly Eyes Only for the Secretary from Ambassador Rush.
- 1.
- Well before your message 1513682 was received during the Four Power meeting this evening, and after a very tough last ditch stand on his part, Abrasimov had begun to concede in our favor on most of the unresolved major points in the Berlin negotiations. He clearly had highest-level instructions to reach agreement in today’s session.
- 2.
- I believe that you and the President will be pleased with the results. All agreement to individual points from our side was of course tentative and made explicitly dependent on approval of governments. The texts will be forwarded tonight for your consideration. I will as you request inform my colleagues tonight that I think a point has been reached where we should pause in our meetings to refer the results of our work to governments for consideration. But Abrasimov was giving way on Soviet concessions so fast that I considered it could do great damage to the negotiations to stop him in midcourse by stating that we should not [now?] at this stage submit the results of our work to governments. I feel sure you will understand the circumstances in which I found myself.
Klein
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 28 GER B. Secret; Nodis; Flash. A copy was sent to the White House for Kissinger in San Clemente.↩
- Document 297.↩