Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 893 › Conversation 893-012

Nixon, Lopez Bravo de Castro & Kissinger on U.S.-Spain relations

Wednesday, April 11, 1973 · 11:51 AM–12:02 PM ET · Oval Office · 11 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Lopez Bravo de Castro, Gregorio; Kissinger, Henry A.; White House photographerConversation893-012 on Tape 893StartWednesday, April 11, 1973 at 11:51 AMEndWednesday, April 11, 1973 at 12:02 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 893-012 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Spanish Foreign Minister Gregorio Lopez Bravo de Castro, accompanied by Henry Kissinger, met to reaffirm the U.S.-Spain relationship and discuss integrating Spain more fully into the Atlantic community. The conversation focused on establishing a working group to proactively address geopolitical crises and security cooperation, moving beyond historical legacies to recognize Spain's modern economic and political status. Nixon emphasized his desire to facilitate Spain's greater role in European affairs and expressed his personal commitment to maintaining strong bilateral ties.

  • U.S.-Spain relations
  • Atlantic community
  • Foreign policy
  • General Francisco Franco
  • Security cooperation

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We'll never forget that day when we were at the dinner, you know, on our visit there.
That's the best welcome we've had in four years.
So we appreciate that relationship we've had.
And I hope in the next four years we can continue to see a breakthrough in some of the directions you and I have covered up.
I hope we have a relationship.
What?
I hope we have a relationship.
Ah, no.
It's on Monday, Monday, Monday.
Well, it's a great day.
Yes, it is great.
I like the idea of starting now.
In other words, the thing to do is to start now so that we don't come up with a big crisis later and so that we can set up the right kind of working group now and decide where we're going to go.
We've also got to do it in terms of what the rest of Europe is going to do and so forth.
So what kind of a plan do you have in mind as to what we're going to do?
um,
in the capital, he lost $100.
In 75, he was paid close to $2,000.
Really?
Really.
That's great.
And General Franco and the Spanish government, we have decided to share more in the common responsibilities of defense.
In Europe?
In Europe and the world.
In the world.
Yeah, I know, I know.
So, in this case, we are not asking for money.
We are not
I object, one of my objectives in this administration, and one of my predictions as far as the future is concerned, is that Spain, the time has come for Spain to play a full role in the Atlantic community.
Now, the question is how that can be worked out.
You know, there's still the problems of, we all know,
Anyone who visits Spain as I have, so sees the modern Spain.
in that spirit, not just simply for the purpose of trying to renew on the same...
and the US.
Now, two-thirds of all the people living in Spain
been born since the war was over.
And he was ridiculous.
He was a boy.
He was a boy.
Of course.
But I mean, that's my point.
And my point is that just like our new policies that we're developing toward, it's a very different situation because after all, you're our friends.
But our policies toward Egypt and the rest
for over 29 years.
So there's a whole new world.
We'll communicate and see what we can work on.
In the meantime, I hope in the next four years we can make the breakthrough, not just our relations with Spain, which was complicated by my visit there, but...
You take care of her.
Does he feel well?
All right.
He's so nice to us.
And don't forget, if you have any possibility to visit Spain again, do it with us.
But we want to have something.
We'll find a way to get there one way or another.
Of course, I'd love to come with you.

NARA Description

On April 11, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Gregorio Lopez Bravo de Castro, Henry A. Kissinger, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:51 am to 12:02 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 893-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 893-12

Date: April 11, 1973
Time: 11:51 am - 12:02 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Gregorio Lopez Bravo de Castro and Henry A. Kissinger. The White
House photographer and members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting.

     Greetings

     President’s schedule
           -US Congress
                 -Vetoes

     Relations with Spain
           -Friendship over the past four years
                                              -28-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                            Conversation No. 893-12 (cont’d)

           -President’s previous visit to Madrid
                 -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

     Arrangements for photograph

[Photograph session]

     Establishment of working group
           -Crisis aversion
                 -European community
           -Talks
           -US Senate action

     Spanish trade relations
          -Rise in Spanish wealth

     Spain’s role in Atlantic community
          -Gen. Francisco Franco
          -Spanish reaction to communism in Europe
          -Security
                 -United States
          -Legacy of the Spanish Civil War
          -Current conditions in spain
                 -Improvements
                 -European involvement
                       -Geographically
                       -Economically
                       -Politically
                 -Update of US – Spain relations

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 11:51 am.

     President’s schedule
           -Meeting with Roger E. Shields

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 12:02 pm.

     Spain’s role in the Atlantic community
          -Practicality
                                              -29-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                               Conversation No. 893-12 (cont’d)

           -Franco
           -Relations with US
           -Relations with Europe
           -President’s conversation with Edward R. G. Heath
                 -Great Britain relationship with Franco
                       -Domestic pressures
                 -France
           -Legacy of the Spanish Civil War
                 -US relations with Japan
                       -Attack on Pearl Harbor
           -Spain’s development
                 -Economic power
                 -Improving political landscape
           -Working group
           -Breakthrough
                 -President’s visit
                 -Europe

     Morocco

     Lebanon

     Franco
          -Health

     Future visits to Spain
           -Vacation

Lopez-Bravo and Kissinger left at 12:02 pm.

Also recorded on April 11, 1973

  • 893-010 11:05 AM · 44 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Stephen B. Bull, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:05 am to 11:50 am.
  • 893-011 11:50 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:50 am and 11:51 am.
  • 893-013 12:04 PM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Roger E. Shields, Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:04 pm to 12:29 pm.
  • 044-144 12:29 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 12:34 pm.
  • 893-014 12:29 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 12:34 pm.
  • 893-015 12:29 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 12:34 pm.
  • 893-016 12:34 PM · 1 hr 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Gerald R. Ford, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:34 pm to 1:20 pm.
  • 044-145 12:35 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford talked on the telephone from 12:35 pm to 12:39 pm.

All 31 conversations from April 11, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 893-012, April 11, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/893-012 (accessed October 12, 2026).