106. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Eagleburger) to Secretary of State Haig1
SUBJECT
- Guidance on US/Soviet Summit
Mr. Secretary,
Senator Percy reportedly told members of the press today that he has your commitment to “aim for” a US/Soviet summit in 1982. With [Page 363] out commenting on Percy’s statement, we prepared the attached guidance2 which gives our long-standing position on the summit question. The issue came up at the noon briefing, and this guidance was used.
We subsequently learned from a correspondent that Percy is also claiming to have Dick Allen’s commitment to a summit, and that Allen allegedly told Percy that preparations are underway. The correspondent told us he then put this question to Ed Meese, who said a summit is “under consideration.” Asked how actively it is being considered, Meese is said to have replied: “Just say it’s under consideration.”
Although our guidance still seems right to me, I’m concerned that we may be on a somewhat different wave length than the White House on this issue.3
- Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Haig Papers, Department of State, Day File, Box 59, November 24, 1981. Confidential; Sensitive. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads: “AMH.”↩
- Attached but not printed is a November 24 paper drafted by Rueckert and entitled “Reagan/Brezhnev Summit” which states that Reagan and Haig “have indicated in principle U.S. readiness to go to a summit if this would serve a useful purpose and hold good prospects of concrete results,” but had no set timetable.↩
- At the bottom of the memorandum, Haig drew an arrow pointing to this paragraph and wrote: “So what’s new? AH”↩