280. Memorandum of Conversation1
SUBJECT
- Supply of Arms to Near Eastern Countries
PARTICIPANTS
- Ambassador Anatoliy F. Dobrynin, USSR
- Llewellyn E. Thompson, Ambassador-at-Large, Department of State
Ambassador Dobrynin, after lunch at the Embassy today, referred to my earlier conversation with him some weeks ago on the supply of arms to Near Eastern countries. He remarked that while I was away on my Far Eastern trip, an article had appeared in the New York Times which contained a reference to a conversation which Secretary Rusk had had on this subject with Foreign Minister Gromyko last autumn. The Ambassador pointed out that this had been an informal, confidential conversation and it certainly did not help matters to have reference made to it in the public press. I said I had not been aware of this and was quite surprised to learn that there had been any publicity.
The Ambassador said that the position of his Government remained as it had been. He said that with respect to atomic weapons in this area, if there was interest in making this area a nuclear-free zone, the Soviet Union would be prepared to support such a proposal. So far as other types of sophisticated weapons are concerned, he indicated that his Government considered this a very complex question and the tenor of his remarks was to the effect that they had little interest. He mentioned that some of these countries were concerned with their own security and, in this connection, they had to take account of United States Naval forces in the Mediterranean, as well as United States bases in the area.
Our conversation was broken up before I had an opportunity to find out what countries they considered should be included in any atomic-free area and I would suggest that the Secretary may wish to pursue this when he sees the Ambassador before the end of the week.
- Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 19 NEAR E. Secret. Drafted by Thompson.↩