Office of the Historian

292. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in France0

Washington, February 11, 1963, 7:44 p.m.

Topol 1108. Deliver Ambassador Finletter1 by 9:00 a.m. February 12.

1.
Before US Ambassador to USSR left Moscow for consultations in Washington, Sov Foreign Minister Gromyko made oral statement to him expressing Soviet Governmentʼs concern re alleged US pressure on other countries to prevent deliveries of wide-diameter pipe to USSR.2 Gromyko asked US Ambassador to inform President of US that head of Soviet Government, Khrushchev, placed particular emphasis on this problem and hoped US Govt and President would take that into account in considering it.
2.
USG planning low-key reply to Gromyko on US Ambassadorʼs return to Moscow, about February 14, in following terms:
a)
US treats pipe over 19 inches as having military and strategic significance and prohibits its export to USSR. If international situation improves and Western Allies able feel danger to their national security has lessened, US would naturally re-examine its position on pipe exports.
b)
Determination what constitutes “strategic” goods matter for decision by countries concerned based evaluation national security interests. Recent issue East German military magazine emphasized military and strategic importance to Sov Bloc of Friendship pipeline and compared it to NATO pipeline.
c)
NATO countries have been discussing question of strategic significance of pipe and exports of pipeline to USSR: If certain NATO countries have taken action to restrict such exports, such measures have been undertaken strictly on their own responsibility in light of their judgment of their own security interests.
3.
Request USDel inform Stikker3 beforehand and NAC Perm Reps at beginning Defense Data briefing February 12 of Gromyko approach and nature intended US oral reply.
Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, STR 12-3 USSR. Secret;Niact. Drafted by Kupinsky (EUR); cleared by EUR, E, Tyler, Kohler, Davis, and Bundy; and approved by Rusk. Repeated to Rome, London, Paris, and Moscow.↩
  2. Thomas K. Finletter, U.S. Permanent Representative at the North Atlantic Council.↩
  3. The Embassy in Moscow transmitted the text of Gromykoʼs statement in telegram 1841, January 26. (Department of State, Central Files, STR 12-3 USSR)↩
  4. Dirk U. Stikker,NATO Secretary General.↩