Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XIII, Soviet Union, October 1970–October 1971

244. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Soviet Ambassador (Dobrynin)¹

Washington, May 28, 1971, 11 a.m.

D: Good morning. You are just now getting back from yesterday’s Kennedy party?

K: As soon as I heard from the Secret Service that you left I got there. It was a nice party.

D: I left just after Kennedy arrived to go to the next affair.

K: I stayed until one as your agents no doubt told you.

D: I know this myself.

K: I have two or three things I wanted to go over with you. I had a cable from Smith who said it worked out very well.² Semenov carried out his instructions and didn’t ask for any interpretations at all so Smith took out one sentence which asked for interpretation. Said he was not given any interpretations so we took ours.

D: Do you see how easy it is to make our two boys there happy?

K: Smith says that a junior member of your delegation, Kikilov (phonetic) [Kishilov], said he was not happy about having to change the interpretation. He said it to one of our junior delegates³ who didn’t know anything.

D: He probably did not have instructions. I received a telegram that said no interpretations were to be given. Otherwise no one will specifically look what he is saying.

K: I told the President about the exchange and he was very pleased. Second, the foreign ministers idea you raised with me yesterday.⁴

D: You mean on…

K: Berlin. If you could avoid raising it any place else because the President is very much opposed to it.

D: OK.

K: Thirdly, clarification on these items for licensing. We are approving $64 million rather than the $40 million we talked about yesterday.

D: Machine?

K: For truck manufacturing tools other than for Kama River project which will not be included in this.

D: Kama River, you say.

K: Is not included in this decision. We took that out and decided the other things rather than have them piddling out.

D: $65 million is the $40 million you mentioned to me yesterday?

K: Yes. We are approving all the Gleason plus the [omission in transcript] for machine tools. This clears the books except for the big one which we will treat separately as I told you.

D: Thank you.

K: Good and we will be in touch.

D: Of course.

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Henry Kissinger Telephone Conversation Transcripts, Box 27, Dobrynin File. No classification marking.
2. The May 28 backchannel message from Smith to Kissinger is ibid., NSC Files, Box 427, Backchannel Files, SALT, 1971.
3. Garthoff.
4. See Document 234. Dobrynin first raised the proposal of a Foreign Ministers meeting on Berlin during his meeting with Kissinger on May 24. See Document 229.