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Conversation: 767-017

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Start Date: 11-Aug-1972 10:36 AM

End Date: 11-Aug-1972 11:08 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Kissinger, Henry A.Flanigan, Peter M.Peterson, Peter G.Bull, Stephen B.

Recording Device: Oval Office

767-017.mp3

NARA Description:

On August 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter M. Flanigan, Peter G. Peterson, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:36 am to 11:08 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 767-017 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 767-17

Date: August 11, 1972
Time: 10:36 am - 11:08 am
Location: Oval Office

Henry A. Kissinger met with Peter M. Flanigan and Peter G. Peterson; the White House
photographer and members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting.
                                                 25

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Nov-03)

       Peterson’s schedule

       Photographs
            -Arrangements

The President entered at 10:36 am.

       [Photograph session]

       Tom Petit
           -Previous Los Angeles assignment

       Purpose of meeting
            -Publicity
            -Discussion of international trade

       Peterson's previous meetings with Soviet Union officials
             -Exports
                    -Soviet Union desire for Most Favored Nation [MFN] status
             -Proposed trade center facilities
                    -Drawings of the facilities
             -Hospitality
             -Soviet negotiating tactics
             -Accomplishments
             -Nikolai S. Patolichev
                    -Health
                    -Soviet minister of health [Boris V. Petrovsky]
                          -Politburo
             -Unemployment in US
             -1972 election
             -Political significance of meetings
             -Soviet desire for economic agreement
             -Leonid I. Brezhnev
                    -Desire for economic agreement
                          -Soviet domestic political situation
                          -Patolichev
                          -Previous meeting in Crimea with Peterson
             -US-Soviet Union trade
                    -Gas deal
                    -Lend-Lease
                          -Brezhnev’s comments to Peterson
                                       26

              NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. Nov-03)

               -Leningrad
               -US position
                      -Possible concession
                            -Congressional acceptance
     -Comprehensive trade agreement
         -MFN status for the Soviet Union
         -Arbitration
         -Bargaining advantage of US concession on Lend-Lease
               -Peterson’s view
         -Gas deal
               -Possible arbitration complications
         -Arbitration
               -Paul R. Porter
         -Harold J. Berman
               -Harvard University
         -Impact of US domestic situation
         -Appearance of concession to Brezhnev
               -Brezhnev’s domestic situation
                      -US interest in Brezhnev
                            -Soviet hardliners
                            -US-Soviet Union relations

US-Soviet Union relations
    -Kissinger's forthcoming trip to the Soviet Union
           -Confidentiality
                 -State Department
           -Discussions with Brezhnev
                 -Aleksei N. Kosygin
           -Preliminary work on trade
                 -Flanigan, Peterson
                 -Relationship to 1972 election
                 -Brezhnev's concerns
                        -Vietnam
                        -The People's Republic of China [PRC]
    -Trade
           -Importance to Soviets
           -Situation for US
                 -Lend-Lease
                        -Importance
                              -Congress
                              -Soviet Union purchases of grain
                                              27

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Nov-03)

                  -Gas deal
                        -Political implications
                               -PRC
                               -Japan
                        -Soviet grain purchase
                        -Strategic value
                               -Enhancement of Soviet military capability
                               -Pipeline construction
                        -Possibility of US concessions
                               -Lend-Lease
                               -Pipeline
                        -US domestic energy prices
                        -Possible working group
                               -Peterson's proposal
                        -Brezhnev
                               -Need for appearance of Presidential interest
                                     -Development of options
                                     -Announcement
                               -Timing
                                     -Kissinger’s forthcoming trip to the Soviet Union
                                           -Submission of proposal to the Soviets
                                                 -Brezhnev
                                                 -Importance of notice to the Soviets
                                                       -Politburo
                        -The President’s forthcoming message to Brezhnev
                               -Problems
                                     -Brezhnev’s possible discussions with Kissinger
                                           -Pipeline
                                                 -Working group
                               -Need for action
             -Lend-Lease

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:36 am.

       The President's schedule
            -Meeting with George W. Romney
            -Size
            -Location
                  -Cabinet Room
                  -Oval Office
            -Press photograph
                                                28

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Nov-03)

                  -Report on Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Bull left at an unknown time before 11:08 am.

       US-Soviet Union relations
           -Lend-Lease
                  -Brezhnev
                  -Concessions
                  -The Administration’s possible meetings with Congress
                       -The President's view
                              -Senate
                              -Consultations
                       -Kissinger’s view
                              -State Department
                  -US deal with Great Britain
                       -Payment schedule
                              -Link to US-Soviet Union payment negotiations
                  -Appearance of optimism
                  -The Administration’s consultations with Congress
                       -Vietnam negotiations
                              -Contrasted with Lend-Lease negotiations
                       -Factor of Soviet losses in World War II
                       -Negotiations with Brezhnev

       US-Japan trade
            -Gas deal
                  -political aspects
                  -Economic significance
                         -California
                  -Shipments to Japan
                  -Japanese presence in Siberia
                  -Kakuei Tanaka

       Maritime issues
             -Shipping
                  -Cuba
                       -Timing vis-a-vis the 1972 elections

       Poland
            -Relations with US
                  -1972 election
                                               29

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. Nov-03)

                   -Bonds issue
                         -Forthcoming meeting between US and Polish officials
                   -Grain sales
                   -Compared to US relations with the Soviet Union
                   -Trade
                         -Terms of agreements
                               -Publicity
                   -Export-Import [Ex-Im] Bank
                         -Yugoslavia
                         -Romania
                               -Trade with US
                         -Polish bond payments to Polish Americans

       US-Soviet Union relations
           -Trade negotiations
                  -Report to Congress
                       -Administration goals
                              -Agreement
                                   -Timing

Kissinger, Flanigan and Peterson left at 11:08 am.