Office of the Historian

174. Memorandum of Conversation1 2

Washington, August 21, 1974, 12:38–12:45 p.m.

PARTICIPANTS:

  • President Gerald R. Ford
  • Pakistani Ambassador Yaqub-Khan
  • Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State and Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
  • Lt. General Brent Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant the President for National Security Affairs

President: It is very nice to see you again and have an opportunity to chat with you.

Yaqub-Khan: I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you. You have already read the letter from Prime Minister Bhutto. He also asked me to convey his personal greetings.

Kissinger: Pakistan has the most intimidating honor guard I have ever seen.

Yaqub-Khan: We value our relationship with the U.S. and your efforts toward peace, and we are delighted that Secretary Kissinger will remain.

President: I want to say personally that our policies will continue. Secretary Kissinger is invaluable to me and to the country, and the globe. Your country’s friendship is very valuable to us and we look forward to maintaining our relations. Secretary Kissinger has made me aware of some of your military needs. I don’t know the total details yet.

Kissinger: I told the President of the $90 million request.

Yaqub-Khan: I thank you. You said you would do that.

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Kissinger: On a sales basis, it wouldn’t be as difficult to do.

Yaqub-Khan: We don’t want to embarrass our friends. You know our needs and that is sufficient.

Kissinger: If we wind up with the Greek-Turkish, Arab-Israeli and India-Pakistan [problems] all at once….

Yaqub-Khan: You heard about the Cyprus developments?

Kissinger: There was a proposal for Prime Minister Bhutto to mediate.

Yaqub-Khan: Karamanlis made it, and we immediately checked it with the Turks. Your Ambassador said it would be fine with you. We have sent an Under-Secretary to Athens and Ankara to check the land to see whether mediation is possible.

President: Your assistance has been very helpful and we appreciate it.

[After closing pleasantries, the meeting ended.]

  1. Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser Files, Memoranda of Conversations, Box 5, August 21, 1974. Secret. The meeting took place in the Oval Office of the White House. On August 10, Kissinger met briefly with Yaqub to reassure him that a commitment to Pakistan’s independence and integrity was a “central part of U.S. policy.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, P820097–1157)↩
  2. Following his inauguration, President Ford met with Pakistani Ambassador Yaqub Khan to discuss the sale of military supplies to Pakistan.↩