Office of the Historian

364. Memorandum of Conversation0

Washington, October 10, 1963, 4 p.m.

SUBJECT

  • US-USSR Trade Relations

PARTICIPANTS

  • US
    • The President
    • The Secretary
    • Ambassador Thompson
    • Assistant Secretary Tyler
    • Mr. Akalovsky, ACDA/IR
  • USSR
    • Foreign Minister Gromyko
    • Deputy Foreign Minister Semenov
    • Ambassador Dobrynin
    • Mr. Sukhodrev, Foreign Ministry

Mr. Gromyko then noted the Secretary and he had had earlier today a discussion on US-USSR trade relations.1

The President said we ought to give important study to this problem, noting that this could be useful particularly now that the wheat deal had been made. Perhaps chances for improvement in this area were now [Page 794] better than before. The President then asked the Secretary where this matter had been left with Mr. Gromyko.

The Secretary reported on his earlier conversation with Mr. Gromyko, noting that there were a number of problems, including operational, legislative, economic, and of course lend-lease.

The President inquired what the status of lend-lease was.

Ambassador Thompson said that in last discussions the USSR had offered to pay $300 million whereas the US wanted $800 million. This was apart from the 47 ships which the US had given to the USSR.

The President commented that the US had been looking at the problem of trade since the Moscow meeting, and that both sides should keep at it.

The Secretary then commented that as far as the US-USSR air agreement was concerned, the US thought technical discussions could be initiated looking forward to signing the agreement toward the end of the year. Those discussions were contemplated in the agreement but could be undertaken even before the actual signing. The FAA could discuss with its Soviet counterpart the operational rules and airport facilities, and our respective airlines could also discuss matters of concern to them. The Secretary commented that, frankly speaking, if there were headlines in the press tomorrow about the holding up of our Berlin convoys it would be very difficult if we signed the air agreement today.

  1. Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series,USSR, Gromyko Talks. Drafted by Akalovsky and approved by the White House on October 21 and by S on October 16. The meeting was held at the White House.↩
  2. Document 362.↩