Library of Congress - Kissinger Papers 1971-12-10

Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Minister of the Soviet Embassy (Vorontsov)

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Foreign Relations of the United States
Volume X1
South Asia Crisis, 1971

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 370, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File. No classification marking.

Washington, December 10, 1971, 1:27 p.m.
K: I just spoke with the President before going off. I think this is basically clear but I wanted to be sure there was no ambiguity left. It seems to us that basically your proposal(2) is being accepted and therefore even harder to understand a delay in the joint action.
V: I understand and I proceeded from that assumption.
K: So some formulation should begin between East and West Pakistan. It’s not exact text but substance.
V: When I was reading the paper,(3) in what form this joint action should be.
K: [omission in the source text] Security Council?
V: That’s clear.
K: Consider other proposals as well.
V: I will make that clarification.
K: The language you have is more precise than one I gave you.
V: I understand.
K: We will draft something in Security Council-type language and get it to you this afternoon.

Footnotes:

2 An apparent reference to the proposal for a cease-fire put forward in Brezhnev’s December 8 letter to Nixon (Document 253). The Soviet proposal also called for negotiations between Yahya Khan’s government and East Pakistani leaders concerning a political settlement in East Pakistan.
3 An apparent reference to Nixon’s December 10 letter to Brezhnev; Document 269.