Office of the Historian

50. Telegram From the Embassy in Bangladesh to the Department of State1

Dacca, March 21, 1980, 0524Z

1583. Subj: BDG Inquiries About Visit to Washington by President Zia in August.

1. C–Entire text.

2. In a March 20 meeting, Foreign Secretary Kibria told Ambassador that in view of the great importance which Bangladesh attached to the August session on global negotiations of the UNGA Committee of the Whole, he would like to advise President Zia to attend. Kibria said that a visit by President Zia would highlight Bangladesh’s interest in the global negotiations and call attention to Bangladesh’s economic problems. Kibria asked whether, if Zia should accept this advice, it would be possible to arrange a one-day visit to Washington which would include a meeting with President Carter. Kibria said he hoped that despite the preoccupation with the election campaign at that time, the USG’s currently heightened interest in this region might make Washington receptive to an August visit by Zia.

3. Ambassador told Kibria that he would of course forward this inquiry to Washington for consideration. However, Ambassador noted that the Democratic Convention would be held in August, following which the Presidential campaign would be in full swing; hence, it would be wrong not to discourage hopes of arranging a Zia visit to Washington. In an “off the record” aside to Kibria after the meeting, Ambassador noted that the strongest reason for feeling it necessary to discourage his hopes was the severe USG disappointment over Bangladesh’s abstention on Iranian sanctions votes in the Security Council.2 Kibria replied that he understood this.

4. Action requested: Please advise as soon as practical what response we should give to Kibria.

Helble
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D800170–0536, D800143–0900. Confidential; Priority; Exdis.↩
  2. In a March 26 memorandum to Brzezinski, Thornton reported that on March 26 he “met with Ambassador Schneider (Bangladesh) who is concerned that Vance is keeping Bangladesh on a blacklist because of their poor behavior on Iranian sanctions in the UNSC. We have slapped their wrists hard, they have been very helpful on Afghanistan, and there is no point letting this drag on forever. We should turn a new page.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Staff Evening Reports File, Box 28, 3/22–27/80)↩