Office of the Historian

55. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders) to the Deputy Secretary of State (Christopher)1

Washington, July 17, 1980

SUBJECT

  • Possible Visit by President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh

Issue for Decision

Whether to recommend that President Carter invite Zia to call on him while he is in the US to address the UN Special Session on global economic issues.

[Page 140]

Essential Factors

President Ziaur Rahman will visit the US from August 25 to 27 to address the UN Special Session on global economic issues. The Bangladeshis have approached Embassy Dacca,2 USUN3 and the Department4 with a request for an office call on the President and perhaps a lunch. The President met Zia very briefly in Tokyo at the Ohira memorial service,5 and subsequently sent him a message from AIR FORCE ONE expressing his interest in meeting with Zia again.6 We understand informally that the initial contact in Tokyo went very well.

Such a meeting would provide an important opportunity for the President to recognize a leader who has by and large supported high priority Administration objectives, including especially Afghanistan, the hostages, nuclear non-proliferation and human rights. Bangladesh is also a major recipient of US development and food assistance.

Recommendation

That you approve the attached Tarnoff-Brzezinski memorandum recommending a Zia visit.7 This recommendation is supported by HA, IO, IDCA, AID and ACDA.8

  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P800123–2126. Confidential. Drafted by Benedict. Concurred in HA, AID/Asia, and IO, and by Schaffer, Erb, Coon, and Van Doren. An unknown hand initialed the memorandum for Saunders.↩
  2. See Document 50.↩
  3. Telegram 2497 from USUN, June 25, reported that Kaiser approached McHenry to inquire about the possibility of a meeting between Carter and Zia. According to the telegram, “Kaiser said, again emphasizing the personal nature of his remarks, that Zia is honestly trying to establish democracy in Bangladesh and has tried to help us on Afghanistan. Kaiser also said that despite the vote of Bangladesh, they had tried to be helpful on the hostages. Kaiser expressed his profound hope that President Carter will understand Zia’s problems and find time in his admittedly busy schedule for a brief meeting.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D800312–1113)↩
  4. In a July 21 meeting with Coon, Tabarak Husain repeated Bangladeshi requests to arrange a meeting between Carter and Zia. (Telegram 193621 to Dacca, July 22; National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D800352–0116) ↩
  5. See footnote 3, Document 56.↩
  6. Not found.↩
  7. Not attached. Tarnoff’s July 30 memorandum to Brzezinski, which conveyed the Department of State’s recommendation to invite Zia to meet Carter, is in the Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 5, Bangladesh: 1/77–1/81.↩
  8. Christopher checked the Approve option. To the right of his checkmark, he wrote: “as revised.” Beneath these words, a stamped notation reads: “30 Jul 1980.”↩