Office of the Historian

98. Telegram 16802 From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State1

Moscow, November 5, 1974, 0737Z

16802. Moscow EnMod Message Number Three. Dept please pass ACDA. Subj: EnMod Negotiations: Text of Joint Press Statement.

1. Text of joint statement to press approved at final plenary on November 5 follows:

Begin text: Press release. On the meeting of representatives of the USSR and USA on the question of measures to overcome the dangers of the use of environmental modification techniques for military purposes.

In accordance with the Soviet-American joint declaration of July 3, 1974, a meeting of representatives of the USSR and USA was held in Moscow from November 1 through November 5 on measures to overcome the dangers of the use of environmental modification techniques for military purposes.

Thomas D. Davies, Assistant Director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, together with a group of experts, represented the [Page 324] American side at the mentioned meeting. Academician E.K. Fedorov, together with a group of experts, represented the Soviet side.

The sides exchanged opinions on the most effective possible measures which could be undertaken to overcome the dangers of the use of environmental modification techniques for military purposes.

In the course of the meeting, the sides also examined the state of scientific and technical research in the area of transformation of the environment.

The sides consider that the exchange of opinions conducted is useful for clarification and reaching agreement on positions in the future and they have decided to continue discussion of this question after a working interval. An understanding was reached on holding of the next meeting in Washington. The dates of this meeting will be agreed upon through diplomatic channels. End text.

Stoessel

  1. Summary: The Embassy transmitted the text of a joint statement to the press concerning the recently concluded U.S.-Soviet environmental modification discussions. The statement indicated that the two sides agreed to continue talks after a “working interval.”

    Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D740316–0889. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Repeated Immediate for information to the Department of Defense and USUN.

    ↩