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SECRET THE SECRETARY OF STATE WASHINGTON September 18, 1981 MEMORANDUM FOR: THE PRESIDENT FROM: Alexander M. Haig, Jr. @ SUBJECT: My Forthcoming Meetings with Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko As you know, I will be meeting with Gromyko in New York September 23 and 28, during his visit for the fall session of the U.N. General Assembly. Objectives and Basic Approach I see those talks as a potential contribution to your objective of putting the US-Soviet relationship on a sounder footing by linking improved bilateral relations with increased Soviet restraint. I will put this right up front in an initial one-on-one session before the Delegations convene: I would like in that session to convey on your behalf that we want to work within a long-term perspective based on respect for each other's vital interests, but that this will frankly require new Soviet realism, together with a recognition that the world power balance cannot be changed by violence and force without calling forth a response in kind. Gromyko will of course resist, and any results will be neither large nor immediate, but we may be able to start a process headed in the right direction. My main purpose will be to drive home to him that our whole approach to East-West policy has fundamentally and durably changed: from now on, the Soviet military build-up and lack of international restraint will be met with an appropriate U.S. military and political response. But I also want to convey to Gromyko that there is something for the Soviets in a more moderate course. Gromyko is an accurate reporter, and I will be making a sober presentation intended to show the Politburo that we have adopted our new course deliberately and will pursue it deliberately; that there are positive benefits if they adjust to it responsibly; and that the process of serious dialogue we NLS DECLASSIFIED F98-010 #15 SECRET BY d/b NARA, DATE 6/27/00 RDS-3 9/16/11

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    "ocrText": "SECRET\nTHE SECRETARY OF STATE\nWASHINGTON\nSeptember 18, 1981\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nTHE PRESIDENT\nFROM:\nAlexander M. Haig, Jr.\n@\nSUBJECT:\nMy Forthcoming Meetings with Soviet\nForeign Minister Gromyko\nAs you know, I will be meeting with Gromyko in New York\nSeptember 23 and 28, during his visit for the fall session of\nthe U.N. General Assembly.\nObjectives and Basic Approach\nI see those talks as a potential contribution to your\nobjective of putting the US-Soviet relationship on a sounder\nfooting by linking improved bilateral relations with increased\nSoviet restraint. I will put this right up front in an initial\none-on-one session before the Delegations convene: I would\nlike in that session to convey on your behalf that we want to\nwork within a long-term perspective based on respect for each\nother's vital interests, but that this will frankly require new\nSoviet realism, together with a recognition that the world\npower balance cannot be changed by violence and force without\ncalling forth a response in kind.\nGromyko will of course resist, and any results will be\nneither large nor immediate, but we may be able to start a\nprocess headed in the right direction. My main purpose will be\nto drive home to him that our whole approach to East-West\npolicy has fundamentally and durably changed: from now on, the\nSoviet military build-up and lack of international restraint\nwill be met with an appropriate U.S. military and political\nresponse. But I also want to convey to Gromyko that there is\nsomething for the Soviets in a more moderate course.\nGromyko is an accurate reporter, and I will be making a\nsober presentation intended to show the Politburo that we have\nadopted our new course deliberately and will pursue it\ndeliberately; that there are positive benefits if they adjust\nto it responsibly; and that the process of serious dialogue we\nNLS DECLASSIFIED F98-010 #15\nSECRET\nBY\nd/b NARA, DATE 6/27/00\nRDS-3 9/16/11"
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