"It goes without saying that as is true with other states, there are cases in the USSR, and there may be such cases in the future, where citizens are denied permission to go abroad for reasons of state security." In response to certain questions raised by Dr. Kissinger in connection with the above statement, the Soviet Government has further stated that: 1. The above statement should be regarded as an official one. 2. The phrase in the statement that "only such normal dutieswhich were also collected before the decree of August 3, 1972-are being collected and will be collected" has no time limit attached to it, and any interpretation implying the existence of a time limit would not correspond to the position of the Soviet Government. 3. The exemption from the requirement to refund state educational expenses is being granted on the basis of the terms of the decree of August 3, 1972, itself and of a subsequent decision taken in accordance with that decree by the USSR Council of Ministers. In the Soviet view, this situation obviates the need for suspending or repealing the decree of August 3, 1972. 5. [sic] The President and members of the Administration are free to transmit the contents of the official Soviet statement and these addi tional explanatory points to the Congress.? 7 Scowcroft forwarded Sonnenfeldt's version of the Soviet statement to Rogers under a covering memorandum, April 17, which noted that Nixon planned "to take up this issue tomorrow with the Bipartisan Leadership Meeting." (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 496, President's Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 16) No record of Nixon's meeting with Congressional leaders, April 18, has been found. According to The New York Times, the President told Congressmen that the Soviets were easing obstacles to Jewish emigration to Israel by suspending a tax imposed on educated applicants for emigration. ("President Urges Senators Not to Link Soviet Trade and Exit Tax," April 19, 1973) 97. Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and his Washington, April 13, 1973. [Omitted here is discussion of the President's meeting with Joseph Sisco.] Nixon: Now, on Moscow I think we ought to give that to State as a career appointment. Kissinger: That's fine. Nixon: And it'll-it'll-so, tell the second-who's the guy, the second man that we've got over there now? Kissinger: Toon?2 Nixon: No! God no! No, n-n-n-no, no, no, no. I mean our man in the State Department. Kissinger: Oh, Rush? Nixon: No. God, no. No. Kissinger: Casey?3 Nixon: No. [chuckles] You get, get-no, the career guy, the Alex Johnson job. Kissinger: Oh, oh. Porter?4 Nixon: Just tell Porter I want the man that they want that they think is best qualified in the career service to become Ambassador to Moscow because it doesn't make any difference to us. Does it, Henry? Kissinger: No. No. We want Nixon: We're going to do the business here. So tell them that. That's Kissinger: [unclear] the better off we are. Nixon: Right. So let's get it, then that'll, that'll give them—they've all been, you know, screaming that they don't have any major appointments. Let's give that one to them. 1 Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Oval Office, Conversation No. 38-11. No classification marking. The editor transcribed the portion of the conversation printed here specifically for this volume. This is part of a conversation that took place from 6 to 6:07 p.m. 2 Malcolm Toon, Ambassador to Yugoslavia. Adolph Dubs was the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy in Moscow. 3 William J. Casey, Under Secretary of State for Economic and Agricultural Affairs. 4 William J. Porter, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. Kissinger: Right. On—I think that's absolutely right— Trade Issues at the US-Soviet Summit The summit meeting will provide an opportunity to review the progress made in trade and economic relations since the meeting in Moscow and to set goals for the period ahead. In accordance with his commitment and the terms of the US-Soviet trade agreement of last October, the President has submitted to the Congress a request for authority to extend MFN treatment.2 The President will be prepared to give the General Secretary a status report on this legislation and an estimate of when it may be possible for the United States to take action with respect to MFN. Apart from the question of MFN, there are no major outstanding issues with respect to the implementation of the trade agreement of last 1 Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 496, President's Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 16. Top Secret. A handwritten notation at the top of the note reads, "Delivered to the Soviet Embassy, 6:30 pm, Tuesday, April 17, 1973." In a telephone conversation with Kissinger on April 14, Dobrynin said that "there is the question of Most Favored Nation—Brezhnev understands it has some kind of problems and he asks what the President is doing." Dobrynin said: “What he is asking nowhe is asking to you and the President if you could give him his ideas or his thoughts on this question-what does he think about the timing of all this [sic] things to happen." He also asked on behalf of Brezhnev "what kind of agreements does the President think can be done during Brezhnev's visit in the economic fields." Kissinger agreed to provide a response to Brezhnev's questions. (Ibid., Kissinger Telephone Conversations (Telcons), Box 19, Chronological File) 2 On April 10, the President submitted to Congress the Trade Reform Act of 1973, which granted to the President the authority to extend most-favored-nation status to any nation when he deemed it in the national interest to do so. See Public Papers: Nixon, 1972, pp. 258-270. October. However, the two leaders could set a new goal for total trade between our two countries over a three-year period, for example, 2-3 billion dollars. The President would also be prepared to consider favorably the possibility of raising the level of credit to be extended by the Export-Import Bank to the USSR beyond the $500 million previously agreed. In this connection, it will be helpful to have Soviet estimates of expected credit requirements over the next three years. The two leaders will probably wish to look beyond the trade agreement and near-term trade and to discuss further the question of longer-term economic relations. In particular, they could review the status of negotiations between American companies and Soviet authorities concerning the export of Soviet natural gas to the United States. The American companies are currently proceeding with their feasibility studies and with work on a protocol looking toward specific contracts, having received Administration approval for these actions at the time of Secretary Shultz' visit to Moscow.3 In light of the progress achieved in this area at the time of the summit, the two leaders could issue a joint statement endorsing cooperation in regard to natural gas, welcoming the progress made and looking toward the realization of these mutually advantageous projects. The final communiqué should record the satisfaction of both sides with the progress made in trade and economic relations since the Moscow summit and refer to the goal for total trade over the coming three years mentioned above. The communiqué could also incorporate a statement on the natural gas projects as indicated above. On April 19, 1973, President Nixon, the President's Assistant for National Security Affairs Henry Kissinger, Special Counselor to the President Leonard Garment, and White House Congressional Liaison William E. Timmons met with the following Jewish leaders in the Cabinet Room: Max M. Fisher, Jacob Stein, Richard Maass, Charlotte Jacobson, Al E. Arent, Rabbi Israel Miller, Herman Weisman, David M. Blumburg, Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, Paul Zuckerman, Mel Dubinsky, Phillip Hoffman, William Wexler, Albert Spiegel, Jerry Goodman, and Yehuda Hellman. According to a tape recording of the meeting, Kissin ger read the message he had received from Dobrynin on March 30 (see Document 89) regarding Jewish emigration and the head tax: "Applications of Soviet citizens who wish to leave the USSR for permanent residence in other countries are considered. And decisions concerning such applications are made on an individual basis, taking account of concrete circumstances. As a rule, these requests are granted (which is an interesting statement). For example, with regard to persons who, in 1972, expressed a desire to go to Israel, permission was received by 95.5 percent of those who applied. A similar approach will be maintained in the future." Kissinger continued: "As regards the refunding of state educational expenses by Soviet citizens leaving for permanent residence abroad [unclear interjection by Nixon] the decree of the Presidium of the USSR's Supreme Soviet of August 3rd, 1972, and the decision taken in accordance with it by the USSR Council of Ministers, provides that Soviet citizens who receive permission to emigrate can be exempted fully from refunding the ex in considering the applications of Soviet citizens wishing to emigrate, have the right to decide that only state duties normal in such cases be collected from such persons. The authorities are now exercising this right. Consequently, only such normal and insignificant duties, which were also collected before the decree of August 3rd, 1972, are being collected, and will be collected, from those persons who are leaving the Soviet Union for permanent residence in other countries." Kissinger then commented on the message, saying: "In other words, they are saying that they will not collect the head tax. When we received this, I transmitted it, of course to the President and he asked me to put a number of supplementary questions to Dobrynin. First, he said, is this an official communication, or just a personal expression? Second, how do we know that this is not just now-when they say it's not being collected or will be collected-how do we know this doesn't have a time limit on it? Thirdly, he said, does this mean the law is being repealed? And fourthly, he asked, can we communicate this to other people?" In response to these questions the Soviets sent a subsequent message on April 10 (see Documents 95 and 96). Kissinger read: "That in reply to certain supplementary questions, the Soviet Government provides the following information: A) the above statement—that is to say the one on March 30th-should be regarded as an official Soviet statement. Two, the phrase or B) the phrase in that statement—'that only such normal duties which were also collected before the decree of August 3rd, 1972 are being collected, and will be collected'--has no time limit attached to it, and any interpretation implying the existence of a time limit, does not correspond to the position of the Soviet Government." After a brief interjection by the President, Kissinger continued: "C) the exemption from the requirement to refund state educational expenses is being granted on the basis of the terms of the decree |
