46. Memorandum of Conversation1 2

PARTICIPANTS:

  • President Ford
  • Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State
  • Brent Scowcroft, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs

[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to Law of the Sea.]

[Page 2]

[Kissinger]:
On Law of the Sea. What I tried to do is change the perception that we were at fault and dragging our feet. That is why I announced the changes in our position. I think it worked. The President of the Conference is going to issue a single text at the end. We have agreement on the economic zone and scientific research, but not on deep seabeds. But Amerasinghe will put our scheme in the single text.

But for the next session, we should deal at our level, because a lot of these delegates are uninstructed. We can line up the heads of state. We can claim credit for the single text and for success on the economic zone and scientific research.

You might want to send the President a letter of congratulations at the progress at the end of the conference.

[Page 3]

[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to Law of the Sea.]

  1. Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Memoranda of Conversations, Box 21, September 2, 1976, Ford, Kissinger, Scowcroft. Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Oval Office. For the announced changes in the U.S. position, see Kissinger’s speech in source note, Document 27.
  2. Kissinger reported to President Ford on his intervention at the UNCLOS III session in New York.