Office of the Historian

438. Memorandum of Conversation0

Washington, November 29, 1962, 4:40–7:55 p.m.

SUBJECT

  • Laos—Relations between the Soviet Union and the United States, Cuba

PARTICIPANTS

  • U.S.
    • The President
    • The Secretary
    • Ambassador Llewellyn Thompson
    • Mr. E.S. Glenn, LS
    • Miss N. Kushnir, LS
  • U.S.S.R.
    • Anastas I. Mikoyan, First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR
    • Ambassador Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
    • Mr. Yuriy N. Vinogradov, Soviet Delegation to XVII General Assembly (Interpreter)
    • Mr. Igor D. Bubnov, Third Secretary, Soviet Embassy
[Page 924]

The President said that he wished to raise another question before the end of the conversation. This was the question of Laos. It has been agreed that all foreign troops would be withdrawn from that country. American military advisers have been withdrawn but there are still North Viet Nam troops remaining. The Soviet Union also agreed to use its full influence to prevent Laos from being used as a channel to infiltrate South Viet Nam. Reliable intelligence indicates that approximately 500 Communists infiltrators are reaching South Viet Nam through Laos every month. Thirdly, an American plane carrying food at the request of Souvanna Phouma—the Prime Minister whom the Soviets wanted to see as head of the government—was cleared for landing by the airport tower. It was fired on at that moment by Communist units and two Americans were killed.

The President expressed his concern that even while we are working at getting agreement on Cuba an earlier agreement is falling to pieces because the Soviet Union is not fulfilling its obligations.

Mr. Mikoyan said that he would convey the information he received from the President to the Soviet Government. He is certain, however, that the Soviet Union is fulfilling its obligations.

He would now like to go back to the question of Cuba.

The President said that he wished to speak a little more at length about some extremely important aspects of the Laos question. There has been agreement on Laos between Chairman Khrushchev and the President at Vienna. If this agreement is not fulfilled, it will appear that no other agreement with the Soviet Union can ever be expected to be successfully implemented.

Mr. Mikoyan said that the Soviet Union was fulfilling all its obligations.

[Here follows discussion of Cuba.]

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.61/11–2962. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Glenn and approved by the White House on December 13. The time of the conversation is taken from Kennedy’s appointment book. (Kennedy Library, President’s Appointment Book) The portions on Laos and Cuba were only a small part of the conversation. The complete record of this conversation, see volume V.↩