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October 6, 1975 - Ford, Kissinger, Indian Foreign Minister Y. B. Chavan
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1553256
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document
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October 6, 1975 - Ford, Kissinger, Indian Foreign Minister Y. B. Chavan
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Memoranda of Conversations (Nixon and Ford Administrations)
Ford Administration Memoranda of Conversations
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India
United Nations
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1975-10-06
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1975
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1975-10-06
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10
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1975
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File scanned from the National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Conversation Collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
MEMORANDUM
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
SECRET/NODIS/XGDS
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION
PARTICIPANTS:
President Gerald R. Ford
Y.B. Chavan, Minister of External Affairs
of India
Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State
and Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs
T.N. Kaul, Indian Ambassador to the U.S.
William Saxbe, U.S. Ambassador to India
Lt. General Brent Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant
to the President for National Security Affairs
DATE AND TIME:
Monday, October 6, 1975
4:06 - 4:42 p.m.
PLACE:
The Oval Office
The White House
[The press entered briefly for photos. ]
Chavan: May I convey the greetings of the Prime Minister and her thanks
for your making time for me.
The President: Thank you very much. I reciprocate. I have never had
a chance to meet the Prime Minister. I hope to be able to.
QUIDELINES
DATE 6/3/04
Chavan: We hope you can visit us.
The President: I plan to and hope to, but my schedule is very difficult
right now. I hope to be able to visit as soon as possible.
DECLASCIFIED
[Dr. Kissinger arrives. ]
The President: I was just telling the Foreign Minister that I hoped to visit
E.O.
India but that we had a number of problems with the scheduling.
SECRET/NODIS/XGDS
TOP
CLASSIFIED
SEGRET/NODIS/XGDS
2
I was in India once before. I took an elephant trip to Jaipur. We stopped
at the Taj Mahal on the way to Delhi in the moonlight. It was mangificent.
Chavan: I had a useful discussion with the Secretary this morning. We
discussed the Joint Commission, which I think will be a very useful device
for coordinating matters.
The President: Where do you meet?
Chavan: The first meeting was held in India, the second today is here.
Kissinger: The Commission has three subcommittees which also meet
regularly - - on education, on scientific and technical cooperation, and
on economic matters.
The President: We are very interested in the economic development of
your country, and I hope the Commission will contribute to that.
I have run into a number of Indian scientists in this country who are very
impressive.
Kissinger: India is in a crucial position. As a leader of the non-aligned,
she can exercise a moderating influence in that group.
The President: I note that India was on the moderate side on the issues
of Israeli explusion and on Puerto Rico.
Chavan: We always try to take moderate positions so that developing
countries can retain their sobriety. We are the largest of the non-
alighed, and that makes our problems more complex.
The President: What will be the impact of an OPEC price rise?
Chavan: It certainly will have an impact, both directly and through its
impact on fertilizer prices.
The President: Do you have any offsetting rise in your export prices?
Chavan: Only in sugar, which is a minor item.
May I mention one point, which was misrepresented in the media?
s
SEGREE/NODIS/XGDS
BALO
SECRET/SENSITIVE/NODIS
3
The present situation in our country has been developing over the past
two years. The minority was trying to make governing more impossible.
For example, the opposition in the state governments was forcing people
of my party to resign under threat of violence. They threatened to
organize a transport strike, which would have shut down industry. They
finally decided to decide the issue with violence in the streets to force the
Prime Minister to resign.
The Prime Minister wanted cooperation from the opposition to face
economic problems, like the 20 percent inflation we suffer from. As
a matter of fact, our rate of inflation right now is zero, so she has been
acting.
What she had to do was painful, but it was constitutional. It has turned
out that the people wanted it and wondered why it wasn't done before. They
welcomed it. Strikes are gone, industrial production is up, and we are
prospering. Of course, some political figures had to be detained, but
very few of them. Only those who were inciting to violence, and so forth.
The President: I am sure you understand that the people in my country
judge standards of democracy by their own experience. So we have to
judge by one's standards. We have had mobs in the streets, too. If
your constitution permits such actions, we can understand. I was sad-
dened by the riots we had a few years ago. I meant no disrespect by my
words but I was commenting on the basis of the standards in our country.
I hope your Prime Minister understands that we judge by our traditions.
I hope it will not affect our good relations in any way. We look forward
to working with you in the Joint Commission and as a leader of the non-
aligned.
Chavan: There were many misconceptions and harsh words, and my
Prime Minister just wanted me to explain the actual situation.
The President: I thought the UN Special Session went very well and laid
the foundation for a good general session.
Chavan: Yes. The proposals of the Special Session must now be followed
up.
Kaul: The Secretary made a very progressive speech.
SECRET/NODIS/XGDS
SEGRET/NODIS/XGDS
4
Kissinger: That was possible because the President ruled positively
in a number of areas.
SECRET/NODIS/XGDS
GERALD
JP/
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4:06-4:42pm
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we hope you can intort is
P
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DECLASSIFIED
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RALO
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NARA, DATE 6/3/02
of your unity & 9 hope the emser will
which to that.
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in this country whome very impressive.
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FORD
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GERALD
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experience Some have to judge by and standards
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constatution permits such actions, we can
understand lem & souldernal by C rists are hnd
a fin years ago. I meant he discript by my
unds but I was community on c mais of C
Hindards in am country.
I hope you PAIl miderators the goidge by am
I hope it will int affer t ens paral
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and my PM just writed me to exploin C
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rest him be frolloward up.
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&
GERALD