42 Foreign Relations, 1958-1960, Volume IX



14. Memorandum of Conversation


                        Camp David, September 27, 1959, 11:45 a.m.

SUBJECT
    Joint Communiqu6
PARTICIPANTS
    US                               USSR
    The President                    Mr. Khrushchev
    Mr. Akalovsky                    Mr. Troyanovsky

    The President, referring to the question of a joint communique,
stated that in view of the fact that Mr. K was to have a press conference
in the afternoon, he believed that a joint communique, would not be nec-
essary, unless, of course, the Chairman thought that it would be useful
to have one. He said that if Mr. K preferred to have a communique he
would be willing to discuss it.
    Mr. K replied that he believed it to be useful to have a joint com-
munique'. His press conference statement, he said, would be in the spirit
that had been mentioned last evening in their conversation. Yet this was
only one aspect of the situation, and a joint communique would have a
soothing effect on world public opinion at large.
    The President said that, since the talks had been very informal and
had covered a variety of subjects without any specific order, he would
not object to having a short statement as to what had been accomplished.
Such a statement could be made public at the time preferred by Mr. K-
before his speech, before his departure, or at any other time.
    Mr. K agreed that the statement should be short and in general
terms, since no specifics had been discussed. As a matter of fact, the re-
spective positions on certain points had not been clarified. For instance,
he said, he did not know what the President's position was on disarma-
ment. As to the time of publication, he believed that perhaps it would be
best if he could read the communique at his press conference.
    The President said that yesterday 1 he had stated that the US was not
trying to perpetuate the situation in Berlin while Mr. K had agreed not to
force the Western Powers out of Berlin. Mr. K had also agreed to have
more frequent meetings between himself and the President or between
the respective Foreign Ministers. Thus, a general improvement of the


    Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 560, CF 1463.
Secret; Limit
Distribution. Drafted by Akalovsky and approved by the White House on October
12.
    1See Document 13.