75. Memorandum to the File1
I sat in on the Secretary’s meeting with Assistant Secretary Abrams, who is in charge of the Human Rights Bureau of the Department. We discussed a variety of topics, particularly the question of Soviet Jewry. The Secretary expressed his view that if we were to establish a better working relationship with the Soviet Union, the chances are that the Soviets would be willing to see more Jews emigrate from the Soviet Union. He said that at one point Gromyko had as much as told him so. But he thought that in any event it was likely to be so because the [Page 226] Soviets seemed to be using the rate of emigration as a policy tool to bring leverage on the United States. In the meantime, we should continue to express our views to the Soviets on all human rights issues on every possible occasion.
[Omitted here are discussions not related to human rights.]
- Source: Department of State, Files of the Deputy Secretary of State—Deputy Secretary Kenneth Dam Official Files, 1982–1985, Lot 85D308, Personal Notes of Deputy Secretary—Kenneth W. Dam—Oct. 1984–June 1985. No classification marking. Drafted by Dam.↩