659–3

Conversation No. 659-3

Date: January 28, 1972
Time: 11:32 am - 12:16 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger and Stephen B. Bull.

The President’s schedule
-Rainer Barzel

Bull left at an unknown time before 11:36 am.

Vietnam negotiations
-Cease-fire terms
-Prisoners of War [POWS]
-Discussion on May 31, 1971
-Link to political solution
-North Vietnamese position
-Point Seven
-POWs for troop withdrawal deadline
-Effect
-End of war
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Kissinger’s call from Robert Kleiman, January 28, 1972
-New York Times
-Vietnamization
-Cease-fire
-Opposition to administration
-Compared to North Vietnam
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-North Vietnamese strategy
-Talks
-Timing
 14

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 659-3 (cont.)


-November 1971
-Xuan Thuy
-Use by North Vietnam
-Response to proposal
-TASS report
-Pravda
-Hanoi correspondent
-Prospects for settlement
-Link with military offensive
-US domestic situation
-Bombing
-March, May 1972

Barzel and Heinz Weber entered at 11:36 am; the White House photographer was present at the
beginning of the meeting.

Introduction

Record of meeting

Barzel’s schedule
-Travel
-Moscow
-Georges J.R. Pompidou

Gratitude for reception

US relations with West Germany
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-Berlin
-Communication with the President
-Vietnam
-The President’s peace proposal speech, January 25, 1972
-Effect
-Mutual friendship
-The President’s 1971 meetings with European heads of state
-Frustration in Europe
-Soviet Union
-European affairs
-European Community
-Cooperation
 15

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 659-3 (cont.)


-Mutual problems
-Environment
-Domestic policy
-Economic unity
-Soviet rhetoric
-Tone
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Recognition of European Community
-Compared to Soviet Union
-The President’s policy
-Soviet Union
-The President’s forthcoming trips to the PRC and Soviet Union
-Relations with West Germany
-Intentions
-Tone
-Neutralization of West Germany
-Détente
-Effect on military spending
-Berlin Wall
-Shootings
-Aleksei N. Kosygin’s response
-Soviet view of free Europe
-Soviet goals
-West Germany’s ties to free Europe
-Stability of policy
-Concern about PRC
-Mutuality
-Détente with Europe
-PRC
-View of free Europe
-Tactical considerations
-Europe
-Middle East
-PRC
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Kosygin
-Long range view
-The President’s forthcoming trips
-US public opinion
-Intellectuals
-Naivete
 16

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 659-3 (cont.)


-Place of conflict
-Prospects
-Place of competition
-Currency devaluation, trade
-The President’s meeting with Willy Brandt
-Berlin settlement
-German treaty
-Propiety of US effort to influence
-Brandt’s view
-Kosygin
-Position vis-à-vis European Community, West Germany
-Division of Germany
-US position
-Meeting with Brandt
-West German productivity
-Value of ties with West Germany
-West Germany’s value to Europe
-West Germany’s ties to freedom
-Price of detente
-Retention of ties
-German treaty
-Vote
-Soviet trip
-The President’s meeting with Brandt
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
-Reduction of forces
-SALT
-European Security Conference
-”Pig in a poke” term
-Meaning
-Brandt meeting
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Kissinger’s health
-Soviet tactics
-Detente
-European Security Conference
-US interest
-Agenda setting
-Andrei A. Gromyko’s visit to the President
-European Security Conference
 17

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 659-3 (cont.)


-Purpose
-Soviet view
-Mutual interests
-Berlin
-Middle East
-Progress in world relations
-The President’s lack of sentimentality
-Cultural exchanges
-Relations between leaders
-Personal and professional
-Dobrynin, Gromyko
-Separation
-Substantative discussions
-War in Europe
-Kosygin’s remarks
-Timing
-India
-Interests
-India
-Vietnam
-US commitment to Europe
-US commitment to Middle East
-European Security Conference
-Benefits
-Topics
-Arms limitation, trade
-Basis
-Pragmatism
-Sentimentality
-Personal relations
-Substance
-German view
-Konrad Adenauer
-The President’s visit to Gen. Charles A.J.M. DeGaulle and Adenauer, 1963,
1967
-US relations with Soviet Union and PRC
-Condominiums
-Advisibility
-Talk with Kissinger, 1958
-US relations with Soviet Union and PRC
-Human rights
 18

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 659-3 (cont.)



Gift presentation
-Greetings to West German friends
-US goal
-West German role

Kissinger’s schedule

Kissinger, et al. left at 12:16 pm.