Office of the Historian

414. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Woodward) to Secretary of State Rusk1

Washington, September 21, 1961.

SUBJECT

  • Farewell Meeting between Presidents Prado and Kennedy, September 21

Upon your return from New York,2 I thought you might wish a brief note on the subject meeting. As in the case of the first meeting (covered in my memorandum of September 20 to you),3 the two Presidents met alone, after which they met briefly with the accompanying officers on both sides. At this brief meeting President Kennedy mentioned only the following:

(1)

Joint Communiqué. President Kennedy stated that he had agreed to change the wording in the second paragraph of the joint communiqué in order to indicate U.S. willingness to cooperate in emergency projects in Peru. Our commitment reads as follows:

“With this in mind the Presidents considered various projects of importance to Peru’s economic and social development. The United States will participate in emergency projects being initiated by the Peruvian Government in the critical Puno area.”

(A copy of the final joint communiqué is attached.)4

(2)
Loan Discussions. President Kennedy said he understood there would be further discussions here concerning the prospective emergency loan. Minister of Development and Public Works Jorge Grieve stated that, with assurance of U.S. participation, the Peruvian Government would start immediately on the emergency program, using funds it has earmarked for this purpose.

Note: Relative to the emergency loan in the Puno area, active consideration is now being given in the DLF, ICA and Department as to method of approach, source of funds, types of projects to be financed and the amount of U.S. financing.

  1. Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 65 D 366, CF 1963. Official Use Only. Drafted by Poole and Belcher on October 4.↩
  2. The Secretary attended the opening of the U.N. General Assembly in New York September 18-31.↩
  3. Document 413.↩
  4. Not printed; see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1961, pp. 611-613.↩