Office of the Historian

44. Memorandum of Conversation1

New York, October 5, 1977, 12:10 p.m.

SUBJECT

  • President Carter’s Meeting with UN Secretary General Waldheim

PARTICIPANTS

  • The President
  • Kurt Waldheim, UN Secretary General
  • Cyrus Vance, Secretary of State
  • Andrew Young, US Representative to the UN
  • William Buffum, Under Secretary General for Political and General Assembly Affairs
  • Roberto Guyer, Under Secretary General for Special Political Affairs
  • Brian Urquhart, Under Secretary General for Special Political Affairs
  • William Maynes, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs
  • Thomas Thornton, NSC Staff (Notetaker)

[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to Cyprus.]

Turning to Cyprus, the President emphasized our reliance on the UN in this matter, and our willingness to coordinate closely while the UN played the leading role. Clark Clifford may go back to the island. Waldheim said that the problem was with the Turks who would not discuss territorial matters seriously. The US should pressure the Turks on this. The Greeks are afraid that the Turks will use another round of talks only to create the illusion of negotiations.

Secretary Vance said he was told yesterday by the Turks that they would be “flexible and generous”.2 It remains to be seen what this means. The President pointed out that the Turks want a general security agreement with the US. Congress would not agree to this without a Cyprus settlement, and even though the Turks reject this linkage, it is there. Waldheim said that the Greeks and Turks both have confidence in him and he is prepared to resume meetings this year if he is sure the Turks will talk substance.

[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to Cyprus.]

  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Brzezinski Office File, Country Chron File, Box 51, UN: 1977. Confidential. Drafted by Thornton. The meeting took place in the Secretary General’s office. The full text is scheduled for publication in Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, vol. XXV, United Nations; Law of the Sea.↩
  2. No record of the meeting was found.↩