Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–12, Documents on East and Southeast Asia, 1973–1976

91. Telegram 33637 From the Embassy in France to the Department of State, November 12, 1976, 1805Z.¹ ²

November 12, 1976, 1805Z

Z 121805Z NOV 75

FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC FLASH 7085

E.O.11652: XGDS-3
TAGS: PFOR VN US

SUBJ: US-VIETNAMESE RELATIONS: FLASH SUMMARY OF NOVEMBER 12 MEETING
REF: STATE 275285

1. MEETING BEGAN AS SCHEDULED AT 1500 AT SRV RESIDENCE. DCM GAMMON WAS US REPRESENTATIVE, ASSISTED BY FSO’S PRATT AND ROSENTHAL. VN SIDE HEADED BY COUNSELOR OF SRV EMBASSY TRAN HOAN, ASSISTED BY 2 EMBASSY OFFICERS AND INTERPRETER.

2. GAMMON READ TEXT OF OPENING STATEMENT TRANSMITTED REFTEL. HOAN ASKED SEVERAL QUESTIONS, PRIMARILY ON US POSITION RE PARIS ACCORD AND OUR ALLEGED DEMAND THAT WE ARE INSISTING ON THEIR OBLIGATION UNDER ARTICLE 8B ON MIA’S WHILE EVADING US OBLIGATION UNDER ARTICLE 21. GAMMON RELIED ALONG LINES OF OPENING STATEMENT AND FURTHER MATERIAL REFTEL TO EFFECT THAT OUR MIA DEMAND IS BASED ON GENEVA CONVENTION AND NORMAL HUMANITARIAN PRACTICE OVER AND ABOVE ARTICLE 8B AND THAT WE CONSIDER WE HAVE NO AID OBLIGATION IN VIEW OF VIETNAMESE VIOLATIONS OF ACCORD. GAMMON ALSO REITERATED FROM STATEMENT AND OTHER GUIDANCE OUR VIEW OF “SATISFACTORY” ACCOUNTING, IN RESPONSE TO HOAN’S QUESTION. HOAN ASKED WHETHER SRV MUST FIRST MEET OUR DEMAND ON MIA’S BEFORE US MOVES ON NORMALIZATION, TO WHICH GAMMON RESPONDED BY REFERRING TO PART OF OUR STATEMENT INDICATING YES.

3. BREAK ENSUED, DURING WHICH GAMMON RAISED INFORMALLY WITH HOAN THE QUESTION OF AMCITS AND CLOSE RELATIVES STILL IN VIET-NAM AND ASKED THAT SRV TAKE STEPS TO FACILITATE THEIR DEPARTURE. HOAN REPLIED HE WOULD LOOK INTO THIS. HE THEN INDICATED POSITIVE ACTION MIGHT BE FORTHCOMING SHORTLY ON RETURN OF REMAINS OF 12 KIA RECENTLY IDENTIFIED TO US AND SAID LIAISON OFFICERS WOULD BE IN TOUCH SOON.

4. AFTER BREAK, HOAN READ STATEMENT (TEXT SEPTEL) OUTLINING STANDARD SRV POSITION ON PARIS ACCORD AND US-VN RELATIONS. STATEMENT SAID SRV IS READY TO FULFILL ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 8B AND TO ENTER INTO DISCUSSION RE NORMALIZATION, BUT US MUST ALSO ASSUME ITS OBLIGATIONS RE RECONSTRUCTION AID.

5. HOAN THEN ADDED EXTRA REMARKS ELABORATING ALONG SAME LINES, PARTICULARLY RE CONTINUING VALIDITY OF BASIC PRINCIPLES OF PARIS ACCORD REGARDING POSTWAR PROBLEMS. HE CLAIMED US DENIED VALIDITY OF PARIS ACCORD. HE CRITICIZED WHAT HE SAID WAS PRECONDITION (RE MIA’S) WE WERE POSING TO NORMALIZATION AND SAID NEITHER SIDE SHOULD DO THIS.

6. GAMMON REPLIED THAT WE LOOK TO FUTURE RATHER THAN PAST, SELECTIVE INTERPRETATION OF ACCORD IS NOT SUITABLE BASIS FOR NORMALIZATION, AND WE HAVE NO FURTHER OBLIGATION UNDER IT NOR CAN IT SERVE AS FOUNDATION FOR NEW RELATIONSHIP WE SEEK. HE AGREED WITH HOAN THAT EACH SIDE’S REMARKS SHOULD BE GIVEN CAREFUL STUDY.

7. ON FUTURE MEETINGS, GAMMON INDICATED THAT WE WOULD BE IN TOUCH THROUGH LIAISON OFFICERS. HOAN ASKED WHETHER ANOTHER MEETING COULD BE SCHEDULED NOW, TO WHICH GAMMON REITERATED THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE.

8. RE PRESS HANDLING, HOAN AGREED TO OUR POSITION THAT EACH SIDE BE FREE TO CHARACTERIZE AND COMMENT ON MEETING. GAMMON INDICATED WE WOULD CONFIRM THAT MEETING TOOK PLACE, MATTERS OF MUTUAL INTEREST WERE DISCUSSED, AND WE MADE CLEAR OUR PRIMARY CONCERN WAS MIA’S. HE NOTED WE WOULD ALSO BE COMMENTING BRIEFLY ON SRV POSITION. HOAN RESERVED RIGHT TO CORRECT LATTER IF THERE WAS ANY DISTORTION OF THEIR POSITION. HE HOPED NOTHING WOULD BE SAID ABOUT TIME AND PLACE OF NEXT MEETING, SO AS TO AVOID GATHERING OF THE PRESS AT SITE AS OCCURRED TODAY.

9. VIETNAMESE DID NOT RAISE OR OTHERWISE MENTION UN MEMBERSHIP QUESTION.

10. MEETING ENDED AT 1645. ATMOSPHERE WAS QUITE CORRECT AND BUSINESSLIKE DURING DISCUSSIONS, RATHER FRIENDLY DURING INFORMAL CONTACTS AT BREAK.

11. IN RESPONSE TO PRESS QUERIES FOLLOWING MEETING, EMBASSY PRESS ATTACHE GAVE STATEMENT IN PARA 29 REFTEL.
RUSH

1. Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger-Scowcroft West Wing Office Files, 1969–1977, General Subject Files, Box 34, Vietnam War, Camp David Files (3), 12/12/75–12/15/76. Secret; Flash; Exdis. In telegram 72569 to Paris, March 25, Kissinger sent a note to the DRV on the establishment of relations. (National Archives, Record Group 59, State Archiving System) On August 30, Kissinger approached Ford: “We got a note from Vietnam. Do you want meetings? We would say it was for the MIA’s.” The President responded: “As long as that cast was put on it.” Kissinger finished: “They would raise other things. But we could stick with MIA’s. Of course we could drag it out, and certainly no conclusion would come before November.” (Ibid., National Security Adviser, Memoranda of Conversations, Box 20, Chronological File)
2. A summary of the November 12 meeting between Vietnamese and Embassy officials in Paris.