Conversation No. 631-4

Date: December 7, 1971
Time: 3:12 pm - 4:29 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Maurice H. Stans, Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Peter G. Peterson;
the White House photographer and members of the press were present at the beginning of the
meeting

     Greetings

     Stans's trip to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR], November 20-30,1971
          -Length
          -Sweden
          -USSR
          -Poland
                  -Duration
          -Sweden
                  -Courtesy call by Stans
          -Poland
                  -Bank credits
                  -Debt
                        -Stans' report
                        -Export-Import [Ex-Im] Bank credits
                              -Romania
                                    -Timing
          -USSR
                  -Moscow
                  -Leningrad
                  -Azerbaijan Republic
                        -Baku
                  -Georgian Republic
                        -Tbilisi
                              -Duration of time
                  -Stans' visits with Aleksei N. Kosygin
                        -Length of meetings
                  -Proposed agenda
                        -US-USSR relations
                        -Trade
                        -Kosygin’s view
                              8

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                       Conv. No. 631-4 (cont.)


     -Working groups
     -The President's forthcoming trip
           -Timing of working groups announcement
     -Political situation
           -Importance and possible improvement
           -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
     -Commercial situation
     -Letter to the President
           -Contents
                  -Agreements reached during Stans’ visit
                        -Description of letter
-Stans's meetings with Minister of Foreign Trade
-Stans's meeting with the Ministers of Petroleum, Gas, Automobiles, Shipping,
     and Standards
-Stans's meeting with the Chairman of the State Committee on Science and
     Technology, The Chamber of Commerce, Foreign Trade Bank and the
     Chairman of the Council of Ministers
     -Azerbaijan and Georgian Republic
-US-USSR relations
-Kosygin's five-year plan
     -Significance
     -Supreme Soviet
           -Helmut(“Hal”) Sonnenfeldt
           -Stans' attendance at the Supreme Soviet
                  -Treatment
-Georgian Republic
     -Entertainment for Stans’ group
-Plane
-Escorts
-Entertainment
-Pravda
     -Stories about Stans’ visit
-Commercial relationship
     -Trade
     -Improvement of relations
-Most-favored nation [MFN] status
     -Possible discrimination
-Export-Import [Ex-Im] bank credits
-Trade restrictions
     -Possible negotiations
-Lend-lease debt
                              9

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                       Conv. No. 631-4 (cont.)


     -Potential settlement
-Working groups
     -Minister of Foreign Trade
     -US Department of Commerce
            -Continuance of discussions
     -Four members from each
            -Location of meetings
     -Joint trade ventures
     -American businessmen in the USSR
            -Special arrangements
                  -Discussed on fact finding groups
     -Kosygin’s view
-Trade possibilities
     -Peterson’s figures
            -Possible conversation between Stans and Peterson
                  -President’s previous meeting
     -Western Europe
            -Amount
     -Stans' goal
            -Projections
                  -1975
                        -Poland
     -Eastern Europe figures
            -Comparison with USSR
            -Vietnam
     -Kosygin
            -Grain sales
                  -Ex-Im bank credit
                        -Compared to industrial equipment
                        -Duration
                              -Poland
                        -Yugoslavia and Romania
                        -Duration
                        -Commodity Credit Corporation [CCC] credits
                  -Political value
                        -Amount
                  -Grain supplies in Eastern Europe
                  -Credit terms
                  -Maritime unions
-Factories and plants
     -Off-shore oil operations in Baku
                              10

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                      Tape Subject Log
                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                         Conv. No. 631-4 (cont.)


             -Steel mills, generator factories
             -G.U.M store
-Travel restrictions
     -Freedom for Stans
-Stans's talk with workers and shopkeepers
     -The President's forthcoming visit
             -Possible tone of reception
                   -Desire for understanding from all Russians
-Press
-Stans's letter to the Minister of Foreign Trade
     -January 6, 1972 meeting
             -Location
     -Grain agreement
     -Ex-Im bank credit
             -Lend-lease agreement
                   -Pace of negotiations
     -Offer of visit to the US
             -Stans’ counterpart
                   -Timing
                         -The President’s forthcoming trip to the USSR
-USSR bank in the US
     -Location
     -Reciprocal basis
-Stans’ impressions
     -Store merchandise
             -Quality of merchandise
     -Housing shortage
     -Automobiles
     -Five year plan
             -Consumer goods
     -Standard of living
     -Factories
             -Performance
                   -Profit motive
     -Progress
     -Poland and USSR
             -Similarities
     -Stans in Poland
     -Apparent US-USSR differences
     -Kosygin
-US business in USSR
                               11

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                      Tape Subject Log
                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                          Conv. No. 631-4 (cont.)


-Natural resources
      -Gas
      -Copper
      -Diamonds
            -World production
                  -Percentage
-Potential US rival
      -Timing
-Issues
      -Level of importance
      -MFN status
            -1951 trade agreement
            -Kosygin’s view
            -Congressional action
                  -Poland
                  -Romania
                  -Vietnam
            -Trade
                  -US tariffs
                        -USSR difficulties
      -Ex-Im bank credit
            -Consumer goods
            -Capital
            -Joint ventures and credit facilities
      -Export controls
            -Ongoing reductions
            -List
                  -Kosygin’s view
      -Increase in scientific and technological cooperation
            -Working group
                  -Space flight
                  -Pollution control
                        -Range of cooperation
      -Trade agreement
            -1936-1951
                  -Duration of US-USSR agreement
            -Other countries
                  -Number of agreements
            -Lend-lease negotiations
      -State committee for science and technology
            -Cooperation
                              12

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                      Tape Subject Log
                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                         Conv. No. 631-4 (cont.)


                 -Canada and France
                      -Potential working group
-US issues
      -Access for us business
            -Offices
                  -Lack thereof
            -Pan American [PanAm]
            -American express
                  -Telex
                        -Intourist
      -MFN restrictions
      -Market requirements
            -Freedom
                  -Access to factories
      -Bilateral procedures for settling commercial disputes
      -Agricultural exports
      -Lend-lease debt
-Joint ventures
      -US equipment
            -USSR natural resources development
                  -Mining of copper, nickel, chrome, gas and oil
      -Pay back in product
            -Including interest
                  -Long-term supply contract
      -Gas pipeline
            -Location
                  -Baltic Sea
                        -Analogy to Algeria
            -Possible national security concerns
-Trade
      -Proposed increase with the US
      -Contracts to US companies
            -Kama River truck plant
                  -Timing
      -Minister of petroleum
            -“Shopping list”
                  -Technology and equipment
                        -Cost
            -Advantages of US
                  -Labor intensive products
                  -US buying of resources
                             13

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                       Conv. No. 631-4 (cont.)


     -Europe
     -Joint ventures
           -Other European countries
                 -USSR agreements with western countries
                       -Tupes of ventures and development
     -MFN status
           -Amount of trade
     -Ex-Im bank credit
           -Credit from other countries
-Economy
     -Increase in productivity and trade
     -Growth rate
           -Projected amount
                 -Gross National Product [GNP]
     -Japan comparison
     -Kosygin's speech
           -Five year plan
                 -Potential equivalent of US in production
     -Potential truck plant
     -Kama River
           -Ford Motor Company
                 -USSR representatives
-Raw materials
     -Titanium, platinum, copper, zinc
     -Timber development
           -US-USSR collaboration
-Significance
     -Step up economic relations with US
     -Develop greater understanding of US
-Technological growth
     -Need to catch up
-Government
     -Structure
-MFN status
     -Limitations
           -Possible psychological barrier
-American goods
     -Equivalent amount
-USSR self-interest
-US economy
     -USSR propaganda
                              14

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                      Tape Subject Log
                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                        Conv. No. 631-4 (cont.)


-Capitalism
     -Possible USSR attitudes
-Stans’ conversation with Minister of foreign trade
     -Press criticism
            -The President’s forthcoming visit
            -SALT
                   -USSR press towards the US
     -Separation of commerce and political activities
-Stans's recommendations
     -Fact finding group
            -Continuation
     -Ex-Im bank credit
            -Step towards normalizing relations
                   -Romania
            -Lend-lease debt negotiation
     -Grains
            -Five year agreement
                   -Value to US
     -Export control lists
            -Coordinating Committee [COCOM]
            -Military hardware
     -US-USSR high level working group
            -Scientific and technological cooperation
     -Travel restriction reduction
            -Tourism
                   -Potential for buying more goods
     -MFN status
            -Lend-lease debt
     -Johnson Act repeal
            -Congress
            -Private financing limits
     -Negotiation of a trade agreement
            -Establishment of US control
                   -USSR protection of copyrights
-Stans' report to the president
     -Memorandum of conversations
     -USSR trade agreements with other countries
     -USSR joint ventures
            -United Kingdom
            -West Germany
            -Italy
                                               15

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                       Conv. No. 631-4 (cont.)


                          -France
                     -Stans' letter to the Minister of Foreign Trade
                -Kosygin
                     -Previous conversation with Stans
                          -The President
                                  -Decision-making
                                  -Possible tenure
                                  -Democrats
                                        -Future of US-USSR relations

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman at an unknown time between 3:12 pm and
4:00 pm.

[Conversation No. 631-4A]

     The President's schedule
          -Meeting with Ronald L. Ziegler and Henry A. Kissinger
               -Timing

[End of telephone conversation]

     Stans' trip to the USSR
          -Kosygin
                  -Conversation style
                        -Alertness
                        -Age
                        -Tea
                        -Bridges
                             -US
          -USSR bureaucrats
                  -Minister of Shipping
                  -Age
                  -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                  -Spain
                        -Age comparisons to USSR leaders
          -Stans' forthcoming press meetings
                  -“Face the Nation”
                  -“Meet the press”
                  -Press conference
                        -Nature of Stans’ trip to the USSR
          -India/Pakistan situation
                                                 16

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/06)
                                                                   Conv. No. 631-4 (cont.)


           -Stans' report
                 -Guidance paper
           -President’s instructions
                 -Recommendations
                       -State Department
                       -US bargaining position

Kissinger and Ziegler entered at 4:00 pm.

           -Stans' recommendations
                 -Press
                       -Relations
                 -American businessmen
                       -Stans’ deal
                       -[Unintelligible]
           -Length of trip
           -Press interviews
                 -US News and World Report
                       -Interview
                             -Timing
                             -Stans’ relationship with the press
           -Importance
           -Grain credits
           -Bank credits
           -Joint ventures
           -Long term financing efforts
                 -John [Surname unknown] telephone call
                       -Timing
                 -SALT
           -Stans' report
                 -Copies
                 -Possible watershed in US-USSR relations
           -Kosygin
                 -Optimism
           -Entertainment
           -Haig
           -Press interviews
                 -Stans and Peterson meeting with Haig
                       -Stans’ possible comments
                       -Recommendations
                             -Briefing paper
                                              17

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                        Conv. No. 631-4 (cont.)


                                 -Stans’ tone with the press
                       -USSR
                             -Possible MFN status
                             -India/Pakistan
                 -Stans’ possible comments
                       -Businessmen
                       -USSR learning US markets
                       -Kosygin's interests
                       -Politics
                 -The President's recommendations
                       -The President’s upcoming meeting with USSR leaders
                             -Thoughts for Stans
                       -European alliance
                       -COCOM
                       -American businessmen in USSR
                       -Department of Commerce
                       -Trade documentation center
                             -Poland
                       -State Department
           -Value of trip
           -Briefing the cabinet

Stans, Haig and Peterson left at 4:15 pm.

The President left and returned at an unknown time before 4:19 pm.

An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time before 4:19 pm.


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 26s


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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                                               18

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                         Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 10/06)
                                                                           Conv. No. 631-4 (cont.)


     India-Pakistan situation
           -Press conference
                 -Number of participants
                 -Backgrounder
                 -India as a country
           -President’s instructions
                 -The President's trips to India in 1953, 1957, and 1969
                       -Backgrounder preparation for Kissinger
                             -Foreign aid
                       -Indira Gandhi
                             -Marvin L. Kalb
                 -Summarize the administration’s efforts
                 -Indians
                 -East Pakistan
                       -William P. Rogers
                       -Economic and military aid cut-off
                 -Kissinger's trip to India
                       -Pakistanis
                       -Kissinger’s conversations with the Indians
                 -Alternatives
                 -Military aid

The President talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 4:15 pm and 4:19
pm.

[Conversation No. 431-4B]

     Kissinger’s request for Haig

[End of telephone conversation]

Haig entered at 4:19 pm.

     Kissinger’s schedule

     India-Pakistan situation
           -Press
                -Edward M. Kennedy
                      -Intended action
                -US actions
                      -Documentation
                                              19

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                        Conv. No. 631-4 (cont.)


                 -East Pakistan

Haig left at 4:20 pm.

     India-Pakistan situation
           -Press
           -Ziegler’s conversation with Kalb
                 -Concerns from Kalb
           -President’s schedule
                 -Transcript
           -The President’s previous conversations with Gandhi and Indian officials
           -USSR
                 -Kalb


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 8s ]


     INTELLIGENCE


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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           -President’s instructions
                 -US influence
                 -United Nations [UN] observers
                 -Military and civilian governments
           -Kissinger's meetings with Indian ambassador and the Pakistan foreign secretary in
                  November 1971
                 -Timing
           -Refugees
           -Political settlement
                 -Negotiations
                                                20

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                    Conv. No. 631-4 (cont.)


Haig entered at 4:23 pm.

          -Aid program
               -Amount
                      -Timing
          -Bureaucracy
          -Soviets and India
          -Chinese and Pakistan
               -US interests
          -Joseph J. Sisco
          -Kissinger’s plan
          -Refugees

Kissinger talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 4:23 pm and 4:29 pm.

     Request for a call to Harold H. Saunders

[Conversation No. 431-4C]

[End of telephone conversation]

          -Backgrounder
               -White paper
          -Bangladesh
               -US contact
               -Indians
          -Gandhi
               -Possible withdrawal of forces
                     -Difference of opinion
          -UN
               -Support of Administration’s position
               -General assembly
                     -Kissinger's talk with George H. W. Bush
                           -Vote
          -Kennedy
               -Possible actions taken by the Administration
          -USSR
               -Indians
               -Message
          -Kissinger’s forthcoming briefing
                                                21

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 631-4 (cont.)


Ziegler, Kissinger and Haig left at 4:29 pm.