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Conversation 153-022

TapeTape 153StartTuesday, November 14, 1972 at 3:11 PMEndTuesday, November 14, 1972 at 3:18 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Kissinger, Henry A.Recording deviceCamp David Study Table
AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss coordinating an unofficial visit to the Soviet Union for Tricia Nixon Cox and Edward Cox, utilizing Kissinger's communication with Soviet Ambassador Anatoliy Dobrynin to facilitate arrangements. The two also confer on the administrative logistics of an upcoming press briefing at Camp David, where Ronald Ziegler will announce the resumption of Vietnam peace negotiations. Additionally, Nixon requests Kissinger’s prompt review of a forthcoming letter addressed to South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu.

US-Soviet relationsTricia Nixon CoxVietnam peace negotiationsLeonid BrezhnevCamp DavidRonald Ziegler
AudioNARA Description

On November 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 3:11 pm to 3:18 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 153-022 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 153-22

Date: November 14, 1972
Time: 3:11 pm - 3:18 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

[See Conversation No. 224-28]

       US-Soviet Union Relations
           -Anatoliy F.Dobrynin
                  -Schedule
           -Possible visit by Tricia Nixon Cox and [Edward R. F. Cox]
                  -Kissinger’s conversation with Dobrynin
                        -Absence of official US delegation
                        -Unofficial Visit
                              -Leonid I. Brezhnev
                        -Plans
                              -Timing
                              -European capitals
                              -Moscow, Leningrad
                        -Dobrynin’s forthcoming conversation with Brezhnev
                        -Dates
                        -Secret Service Coverage
                        -Transportation
                              -Commercial airlines
                        -Accommodations
                              -US embassy

       Vietnam Negotiations
            -The President’s forthcoming letter to Nguyen Van Thieu
            -The President's review
                                             -28-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      (rev. Mar.-08)

                                                          Conversation No. 153-22 (cont’d)

                 -Timing
            -[Resumption in Paris on November 20, 1972]
                 -Announcement
                       -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                       -Ronald L. Ziegler at Camp David
                             -Kissinger's presence
                       -Briefing room
                             -Trailer
                             -Telephones
                       -Kissinger's presence
                       -Time of briefing
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Hello?
Mr. President?
Sorry to disturb you, but Dobrynin is leaving at 3.30.
And I raised this suggestion of Patricia and her son-in-law.
There won't be an official delegation from us for his anniversary.
But he said that if you wanted to, he would be very glad to raise...
the possibility of a visit for them on an unofficial basis with Brezhnev when he's going there?
If they'd be interested in going and he's certain that they'd be very well received?
Well, we don't want to put it on the basis of a sort of a state kind of a thing.
Oh, no, it wouldn't be unofficial.
But you might just tell him that their Kennedy plans are sometime in December to be in
four or five European capitals, and they thought they might like to go to, perhaps, Moscow and Leningrad.
And we don't want anything—we don't want them to feel any obligations and the rest, but we just thought I'd put it sort of low-key that they were going to make the trip and that they could pay their respects or something of that sort, put it on that basis.
How does that sound to you?
Sounds very good.
And I have the impression that they are anxious to do that.
Sure.
Good.
Good.
But he thought it would be best if he could talk it over personally with Breschner so that it is... Oh, sure, sure.
Put it on the basis that we don't want anything official.
We just want to inform him as a matter of courtesy that they might come and actually they...
I'm not asking that they lay on anything special, but that we'll let them know the dates and so forth.
because they couldn't travel over there without their own knowing anyway.
Right.
Would they be alone or would they be having—because they'd have some secret service?
They're just alone, but very minimal secret service.
They don't need much.
They'd be traveling commercial airlines, too.
Right.
And they'd just be traveling commercially and staying there.
They probably would stay in the embassy.
I'm sure they'll do anything there.
Yeah.
But that'll be fine.
That'll be fine.
looking at this letter to you at the present time.
Right.
But if I could have you used by 5.30 or 6.
All right.
And we have to get it out.
Fine, fine.
To catch the deadline of it.
We'll get that off.
Now, the other thing is that I think that I told Bob that I want Ziegler up here to do the announcement of the Friday
So I think that'll be much better than for him to do it down there where it's sort of by remote control.
And so it's possible that you might like to either come up Friday morning or come up Thursday night and Ziegler goes out.
And I'm going to have him up so that he can go out.
We have set up a trailer, a big trailer,
out here anyway for a briefing room for the press.
So Ziegler can go out and they've got telephones and everything.
We are building this as sort of an office now so people when I come here I can work and they won't feel I'm on vacation.
So that's what we're doing.
I think the idea of having Ziegler make the announcement is right.
But he does it from here, which also has a certain aura, too, from Camp David.
Well, then I'll come either Thursday night or Friday morning.
You can work it out, you know, because Ziegler will not brief till 11 o'clock at any minute.
Right, right.
Okay.
And then we can play, and I'll talk to you then.
Right, right.
Right.
Okay, nothing else, no?
No, nothing.
Bye, bye.
Nothing else.
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