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MEMORANDUM THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON TOP SECRET December 6, 1971 MEMORANDUM FOR: THE PRESIDENT'S FILE FROM: HENRY A. KISSINGER SUBJECT: Meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Monday, December 6, 1971, 4:00 - 6:00 p. m., the Oval Office PARTICIPANTS: The President Prime Minister Trudeau Dr. Henry A. Kissinger Mr. Ivan Head, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister The opening few minutes of the meeting were filmed by an NBC-TV film crew for a program on "A Day in the Life of the President. 11 The President began the conversation by saying that he should have thought of such a meeting earlier and was glad the Prime Minister raised the matter. Dr. Kissinger remarked that the Prime Minister accepted the invitation in record time. Prime Minister Trudeau thanked the President for receiving him now. Earlier he had been convinced that a spring meeting would be sufficient, and he had been taking the position publicly that he and the President were always in contact. But when the White House began announcing the series of bilateral meetings with allies, he had no choice but to go along. "We have both had a bad press, 11 the Prime Minister remarked. "Each of us is accused of neglecting the other. 1.1 The President said that he agreed, and that was why he had agreed so quickly to having the meeting. At the Prime Minister's suggestion, they turned to the agenda. Neither the President nor the Prime Minister wanted to get into a technical discussion, the President expressing complete confidence in Secretary Connally's handling of the technical side. DECLASSIFIED SO. 12958, Sect 3.5 SECRET By CIM NLN 03-84/3 pes eir 18 Feb 2009 23 Mas 2009 [p.1 of4]