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FOP SEGRET DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or (E) 7-15-75 Dept. of State letter, Aug 9, 1993 "NATIONAL By NLT- He , NARS Date 12-1-25 = ARCHIVES SERVICE* RECORDE AND MEMORANDUM Mr. Malik, Soviet Representative on the Security Council of the United Nations, recently approached Mr. Jessup in a private conversation with suggestions which intimated that the Soviet Government might be prepared to lift the Berlin blockade if the Western Powers would lift the counter-blockade and would agree to a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers. Mr. Malik indicated that the Soviet Government might agree that the lifting of the blockade could precede the convening of the Conference of Foreign Ministers, pro- vided a date was fixed for the latter. In view of the extreme delicacy and importance of this matter, I instructed the Secretary of State to have this approach followed up in further private discussions between Mr. Jessup and Mr. Malik, with a view to ascertaining whether it had any real substance. Mr. Jessup was instructed in particular to obtain con- firmation of Soviet readiness to lift the blockade prior to the meeting of the Ministers. Pending such clarification I instructed the Secretary of State not to disclose information about this discussion without my authorization. The British and French Foreign Ministers were naturally kept personally informed of the progress of these talks. The TOP SECRET