Date: June 18, 1973
Time: Unknown between 11:31 am and 3:12 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Leonid I. Brezhnev and Viktor M. Sukhodrev.
Oval Office
-Description
Weather
-Camp David
Ronald L. Ziegler
Seating arrangements
Reporters
Ziegler and members of the press entered at 11:33 am.
[Photograph session]
Ziegler and the press left at 11:37 am.
Weather
-Rain
-Athens
-Russian folklore
-Moscow and Washington, DC
Well wishes
-Brezhnev’s colleagues
-Moscow airport
Smoking in the Oval Office
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
-Cigarette case timing mechanism
-Discipline
Brezhnev’s send-off in Moscow
-Brezhnev’s speech
-Brezhnev’s colleagues
-Support for summit
June 14, 1973 politburo meeting
-US-Soviet relations
-Achievements
-Future goals
-Agreement with Politburo
-Talks with President
-Developments
Brezhnev’s expectations from visit
-High hopes
-Resolution of difficult questions
Brezhnev’s itinerary
-Casa Pacifica
-President’s invitation
-Brezhnev’s reaction
-“House of peace”
-Symbolism
Brezhnev’s family
-Wife’s health
-Grandson’s graduation from high school
-Entrance exams
-Moscow University
-Student exam reactions
-Children
-Meeting with Tricia Nixon Cox
-Positive impressions
-Schedule
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
-Letter to Tricia Nixon Cox
-Brezhnev’s son, daughter, daughter-in-law
-President’s personal delivery
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Tricia and Edward R. F. Cox
-Reception in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Welcome to the Brezhnev family in the US
Future of US-Soviet relations
-Future visits
-President’s relationship with Brezhnev
-President’s remaining three years in office
-Keys to US-Soviet relationship
-Ability to change the world
-Brezhnev’s meeting with American Senators
-Respect for President
-Party affiliation
-Vance Hartke
-Hopes for US-Soviet relations
-Brezhnev’s reaction
-Democratic Senator
Brezhnev’s visit
-Press interest in Brezhnev’s trip to US
-Brezhnev’s meeting with Georges J. R. Pompidou
-Brezhnev’s meeting with Willy Brandt
-Brezhnev’s reaction to questions
-Brezhnev’s meeting with US Senators
-Brezhnev’s meeting with 11 American correspondents
-President’s role in diplomacy
-Brezhnev’s conversation with an unknown Soviet diplomat in 1961
-Advice to Brezhnev
-Personal relationships in diplomacy
-Handshake
-Gestures of respect
-President’s in 1972 Moscow trip
-Brezhnev’s 1973 US trip
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Brezhnev’s conversation with Henry a. Kissinger, June 17, 1973
-Request for President to return to USSR in 1974
-Brezhnev’s trip to US in 1975
-Invitation from the Politburo
-Unanimous support from Soviet leadership
-President’s visit to USSR in 1976
-Relationship between US and USSR
US-Soviet relations
-Importance of head of state visits
-Future summits
-Planning
-Travel
-Caucasus region
-President’s relationship with Brezhnev
-Assessment of Brezhnev
-Cooperation
-Benefits
-Detriments of non-cooperation
Soviet Union
-Resources
-Geography
-Military
-Population
-Agriculture
-Minerals
-Industry
-Compared to US
-Strengths of US
US-Soviet Union
-Brezhnev’s comments to central committee
-Respect for US
-Role in world
-Superpowers world peace
Reduction of importance
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
-Guinea
-Third parties
-Disruption of relations
-Luxembourg
-Size
-Police
-Brezhnev’s possible speeches
-Battle against dissent
-Relations
-Peace seeking future
-Friendship
-Respect for populace
Brezhnev’s schedule
-President’s suggestions
Camp David
-Meeting
-Attributes
San Clemente
-Attributes
-Pacific Ocean
Agenda for visit
-Attendees
-Andrei A. Gromyko, William P. Rogers, Henry A. Kissinger
-Plenary session
-Moscow trip 1972
-Gromyko, Nikolai S. Patolichev [?]
-Economic meeting
-Camp David
-Nuclear agreement
-Press leaks
-Media coverage
-Brezhnev’s forthcoming statement
-President’s preference
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
-President’s response
-Schedule
-Breaks
-State dinner, June 18, 1973
-Time difference between Washington, DC and Moscow
Kissinger, Rogers, Gromyko, Helmut (“Hal”) Sonnenfeldt, and Anatoliy F. Dobrynin entered at
12:32 pm.
Arrangements for photos and seating
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 12:32 pm.
Arrangements for photos
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 3:12 pm.
President’s previous conversation with Brezhnev
-Successful negotiations
-Rogers, Kissinger, Sonnenfeldt, Gromyko
-Advice
-Value
-Friendship between leaders and nations
Negotiation strategy
-Discussions
-Mutual advantage
-Mutual compromise
Oval office
-Placement of gift from Brezhnev
Agenda for visit
-Signing ceremony
-Plenary session
-George P. Shultz
-Brezhnev’s assistants
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Rogers and Gromyko
-Forthcoming communique
-Middle East
-Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe [CSCE]
-Camp David
-Brezhnev’s demand for agreement
-Importance
US-Soviet relationship
-History
-Focus on present and future
-Uneven development of relations
-Battles against fascism in 1940
-Roles of President and Brezhnev
-President’s visit to Moscow in 1972
-Brezhnev’s visit to Washington
-Relationship of American and Soviet people
-World peace
-Agreement signed in Moscow 1972
-Endorsement of American and Soviet people
-President’s schedule
-Return visit to Moscow in 1974
-Announcement of trip
-President’s visit to Moscow in 1972
-World response
-Importance of confidence
-Trust of people
-Views of soviet people
-Variety of citizens
-Letters to Central Committee
-Importance of summit
-Volume
-Brezhnev’s sharing of letters
-Letter containing poetry
-Creation of historical narrative
-President’s visit to Moscow in 1972
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
-Epoch-defining
-Need for peace
World history
-Study of conflict
-Wars between monarchs
-Roman Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire
-Future generations study of peace
-Historians
US-Soviet relationship
-Views of soviet communists
-Support for Brezhnev
-Communist Party
-Workers
-Brezhnev’s representation of Soviet people
-Agreements
-Brezhnev’s visit
-Signature of agreements
-CSCE
-US-Soviet Union
-Relationship
-Strengths
-Role in world
-Influence
-President’s visit to Moscow in 1972
-Support from Europe
-France
-West Germany
Time difference between Moscow and Washington
-Brezhnev’s watches
-Moscow time
-Washington time
-Help from Ministry of Foreign Affairs
US-Soviet relationship
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
-President’s visit to Moscow in 1972
-View of European political parties
-Social Democratic parties, Communist parties
-Value
-Peaceful relations
-New phase in relations
-Brezhnev’s visit
-Cooperativeness
-Interest of the world
World progress
-Political importance of the age
-Cooperation
-Role of Europe
-US, USSR, France, West Germany
-World War II
-Cooperation to defeat fascism
-Progressive ideals
-Will of people
-President’s and Brezhnev’s visits
-Assessment of goals
-Progressive ideas
-Peace
-Destruction of war-making capabilities
US-Soviet relationship
-Politics and economics
-Progress
-Future goals
-Principles of Soviet foreign policy
-Party Congress
-Relations with US
-President’s visit in 1972
-Central committee’s resolution
-Future goals
-President’s goals
-Brezhnev’s visit
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
-President’s welcoming remarks
-Value
-Political and economic progress
-Creation of peaceful and progressive qualitites
-Criticism of US and USSR
-Luxembourg military
Schedule
-Brezhnev’s concern over remarks
-Rogers
-Protocol
-Kissinger
-Watch
US-Soviet relationship
-Pride
-Strength of each nation
-Vladimir I. Lenin
-Importance of confidence
-Leaders and people throughout the world
-President’s and Brezhnev’s visits
-Creation of trust
-Lasting peace
-World War II
-Bonn, West Germany
-Brezhnev
-Experience
-Reception in West Germany
-Veterans
-Confidence
-Agreements to be signed
-Importance of world peace
-Possibility of future wars
-Destruction
-President’s schedule
-Future visit to USSR
-Development of relations
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
-Continued communication
-Discussion of future agreements
-Future meetings in 1974, 1975, 1976
-President’s interest in remarks
-Most-Favored Nation [MFN] status
-Future negotiations
-US Trade center in Moscow
-Construction agreement
-Brezhnev’s report to Central Committee on foreign policy
-Distribution to local Soviets
-Support for Brezhnev’s policy
-Lasting effect of policy
-Soviet foreign policy
-Support for Brezhnev
-Economics
-Contact between US and Soviet officials
-Goals
-Expectations
-Isaac Newton
-Discovery of gravity
-Creation of cooperation policies
-Attractiveness for nations
-Possible opposition to peace
-Brezhnev’s influence
-Personal opinion
-Struggle for Detente
-Peace, progress, co-operation
-Brezhnev’s goals
The recording cut off at an unknown time before 3:12 pm.
An unknown portion of conversation was not recorded while the audiotape reels were changed.
[Continued on Conversation No. 944-1]