Office of the Historian

92. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark) to Secretary of State Haig1

Washington, undated

SUBJECT

  • Your Proposed Trip to Romania

It has come to my attention that you are planning a trip to Romania about February 12–13.

Although Romania is something of a foreign policy maverick within the Soviet Bloc, it has a very repressive internal policy, severe social and economic problems and is, in effect, internationally bankrupt.

A visit at the Secretarial level at this time, when we are imposing sanctions on Poland and the USSR, would leave us open to charges of hypocrisy by our allies as well as by domestic groups.

Additionally, there are questions pending which have not been resolved, such as CCC and Exim credits to Romania. A visit while these matters are not yet resolved could prove embarrassing.

I urge you to reconsider your decision to visit Romania at this time.

FOR THE PRESIDENT:

William P. Clark2
  1. Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Country File, Europe and Soviet Union, Romania (02/01/1982–02/14/1982). Confidential.↩
  2. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩