Office of the Historian

132. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter1

Washington, March 31, 1979

SUBJECT

  • Daily Report

Information

Kosygin’s Visit to India: Although Kosygin had only mixed success in his visit with Desai,2 he succeeded in laying the ground-work for a [Page 364] major embarrassment to us. Not only did he offer to build a huge (1 million kw) atomic thermal station for the Indians, but also specifically offered to supply fuel for Tarapur when we pull out. Kosygin agreed that this would entail no safeguards beyond the ones now on Tarapur. The Soviets have thus positioned themselves to extract full benefits when (as appears inevitable) we have to break the Tarapur contract.3 (S)

[Omitted here is material unrelated to India.]

  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, President’s Daily CIA Brief File, Box 18, 3/26/79–3/31/79. Top Secret; Sensitive; Contains Codeword. Carter wrote: “Zbig” and initialed at the top of the memorandum.↩
  2. Kosygin visited New Delhi March 13–15.↩
  3. In the left-hand margin next to this paragraph, Carter wrote: “Let Soviets supply fuel—ok w/me.”↩