Office of the Historian

151. Memorandum of Meeting1 2

Washington, June 13, 1969, 11:30 a.m.
[Page 1]

PARTICIPANTS

  • The President
  • President Carlos Lleras Restrepo of Colombia
  • Alfonso Lopez Michelsen, Foreign Minister of Colombia
  • Ambassador Misael Pastrana, Ambassador of Colombia
  • Dr. Rodrigo Botero, Private Secretary to President Lleras
  • Mr. Charles A. Meyer, Assistant Secretary, Department of State
  • Ambassador Emil Mosbacher, Chief of Protocol Department of State
  • Mr. Viron F. Vaky, NSC Staff

SUBJECT:

  • Farewell Call of President Lleras

PART 1 Pan American Highway

President Nixon referred to the Colombian request for assistance in completing the Pan American highway link south of Panama. He said he was extremely interested in this project. He had been interested in the Pan American highway net since 1955. He wanted to help and to move as quickly as possible. He did not want to wait 20 years for such a project to be completed. He asked Mr. Meyer to follow this and push it; if necessary to break roadblocks, he is to come back to the President. The President wanted this project to move.

The President explained that the relevant agencies would have to study how we could best help and special legislation may be needed. Therefore, he could not at this time say to President Lleras precisely how or in what amounts the us could help.

[Page 2]

It was agreed that President Lleras would state in his comments to the press that acceleration of the highway construction and ways in which the United States could help were discussed.

  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1967–1969, POL 7 COL. Secret; Exdis. Part 1 of 5 parts. The meeting was held in the Oval Office. According to the President’s Daily Diary, the meeting lasted until 12:06 p.m. (Ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Central Files, President’s Daily Diary) A covering June 14 memorandum from Vaky to Davis indicated special distribution was made to the Departments of State, Treasury, and Transportation, and AID.↩
  2. Presidents Nixon and Lleras Restrepo discussed the importance of the Pan American Highway.↩