162. Memorandum of Conversation1
PARTICIPANTS
- Roberto Perdomo Paredes, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Honduras
- Vincente Diaz Reyes, Secretary of State for Economy and Commerce
- Arturo Corleto, Executive Secretary, Planning Council
- Head of the Honduran Central Bank
- Secretary of State Kissinger
- Phillip V. Sanchez, U.S. Ambassador to Honduras
- William D. Rogers, Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs
- Peter W. Rodman, NSC Staff
- Neil Seidenman, OPR/LS (Interpreter)
Kissinger: I appreciate that you took the trouble to come here for a brief meeting and for lunch.
Perdomo: It is also very gratifying to us.
Kissinger: I think it is my first opportunity to meet with you.
Perdomo: We met once before at the OAS.
Kissinger: Yes. It is my first opportunity to meet you as Foreign Minister.
Perdomo: Exactly. I have read what you have written and I agree with you that there is certain hemispheric problem. And I am pleased with the way you addressed it.
Kissinger: I am planning a trip to the OAS in Santiago to strengthen our ties with the other countries. I am returning to the United States with a desire to strengthen our commitment this year.
Perdomo: Relations between the United States and Honduras are at a very high level of cordiality and friendship and this negotiation [in Panama] represents a great improvement in the attitude of United States. This is a very important element.
There are some detailed problems. Our position on the OAS, for example, and other problems of interest in the hemisphere. The Ambassador [Sanchez] has made a great contribution to the improvement of relations. Because he really understands Latin America.
[Page 466]I want to say how grateful we are for the assistance you have given in our disasters.
Kissinger: We are very saddened by it and we are glad to help. You are not affected by the earthquake in Guatemala?
Perdomo: The earthquake had some affect on us.
Kissinger: But we attach importance to our friendly relations with your country and we appreciate the cordiality that has marked it.
Your conflict with Salvador we consider a matter between you. If either side—or both sides—want us to be helpful, we are prepared to listen. But it is a long-standing problem, with a long tradition. Whatever you read in the papers, we are not here to interject ourselves.
With respect to the OAS, did Mailliard visit Honduras?
Sanchez: Yes.
Kissinger: So you know our view.
Perdomo: I want to say one thing to clarify a point. There has never existed a settled juridical boundary. There have been lines that states have respected, but no settled border. This is a more complicated problem. We are trying very hard to figure out a definite border, playing down the magnitude of the problem. It will take two to agree, and it will take a while.
Kissinger: My impression from your colleague from Salvador was that you were going to find some procedure to demarcate the line so that neither side loses. It seems to me a statesmanlike way to solve it.
Perdomo: Yes. That is the intention of both of us.
Kissinger: It seems a very statesmanlike way of proceeding.
I suppose you both have difficult public opinion to deal with.
Perdomo: Yes. We even had a meeting yesterday at the Ministerial level. And we are going to speed up the process. Which has been going on for six years, since our last fight. There have been lots of informal contacts.
Kissinger: If we can do anything to facilitate the process, and if you and Salvador can agree, we will be glad to help. But we do not lack problems now, so we are not looking around for new ones. [Laughter]
Perdomo: Yes. We have confidence that the direct efforts of the parties will lead to a solution.
Kissinger: That would be the best solution.
Perdomo: We would like to keep you abreast of things.
Kissinger: We would be grateful.
[Omitted here is discussion of possible P.L.–480 food aid to Honduras.]
Perdomo: You should come down to Honduras. Our relations are fine.
[Page 467]Kissinger: If the press asks about your dispute. . . Rogers is going to brief the press. Nobody will believe we never discussed it. I think what we should say is: We heard the views of both sides. The United States is not pressing both sides to reach a conclusion. We have the impression that the negotiations are proceeding. If both sides ask us to be helpful, we will consider it, but it is not an issue on which the United States will bring pressure.
If we say we did not discuss it, it will be too mysterious. It will convince them something is going on.
[The meeting ended.]
-
Summary: Kissinger and Honduran Foreign Minister Perdomo discussed the border dispute between Honduras and El Salvador.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P820117–0801. Secret; Nodis. All brackets are in the original except those indicating text omitted by the editors. The meeting was held in Perdomo’s suite at the Cariari Hotel. Kissinger met with Central American Foreign Ministers during a stop in San José at the conclusion of a February 16–24 Latin American tour.
↩