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WITH JOHN MCCLOY AND ADLAI
STEVENSON AT A DINNER IN THE
SOVIET MISSION AT THE U.N.
1 November 1962
COLD WAR INTERNATIONAL HISTORY PROJECT BULLETIN 315
At the outset of the conversation
A.I.
Mikoyan poses a question about the lifting
of the American blockade on the surround-
ings of Cuba for the period of negotiations,
as it was proposed by U Thant in his first
missive to com. N.S. Khrushchev and to
President Kennedy on 24 October this year.
A.I. Mikoyan says that the USSR ac-
cepted recommendation of the acting Gen-
eral Secretary of the U.N., and the United
States did not. On 24 October U Thant pro-
posed that the Soviet Union would stop de-
livery of weapons to Cuba for the duration
of talks (2 to 3 weeks), and the United States
during the same period would suspend the
blockade. The Soviet Union fulfilled the rec-
ommendations of U Thant, but the United
States did not.
McCloy remarks that U Thant seeks to
start as soon as possible to check up Soviet
vessels sailing to Cuba, by the forces of the
International Red Cross.
Stevenson says that the United States
hoped that by the end of next week observ-
ers of the International Red Cross would be
able to begin their work in Cuba. Here ap-
parently some sort of misunderstanding
emerges. It was understood that the suspen-
sion of the “quarantine” would be condi-
tioned on the simultaneous introduction of
inspection.
A.I. Mikoyan objects that no such un-
derstanding took place.
McCloy remarks that perhaps U Thant
did introduce the proposal mentioned by A.I.
Mikoyan, but the United States accepted not
his proposal, but the proposal of Chairman
Khrushchev in his letter to President
Kennedy.
Stevenson says that in fact the issue
about immediate suspension of the “quar-
antine” is purely academic. Soviet ships will
probably not reach Cuba until next week,
and meanwhile he hopes that the inspection
of the Red Cross will be already in force,
and then, naturally, there will be no need
for the “quarantine.”
A.I. Mikoyan reiterates that N.S.
Khrushchev accepted the proposal of U
Thant and the Americans did not accept it.
Stevenson. We believe that a certain
understanding was achieved in the letters of
N.S. Khrushchev and J. Kennedy.
A.I. Mikoyan. This is correct. What
was envisaged in the letters must be imple-
mented and will be implemented. However,
had the United States adopted the same rea-
sonable approach, permeated with good
will, as was adopted by the Soviet Union,
then they would have accepted the proposal
of U Thant and would have lifted the block-
ade immediately.
McCloy. Would you make a stop on
the way back [from Cuba] in New York?
A.I. Mikoyan. I have no definite plans
on this score, but I would not exclude such
a stop-over.
McCloy (in a jocular tone). But would
Castro let you out?
A.I. Mikoyan. He and I are special
friends and will work it out somehow
Stevenson. Perhaps you will bring him
along over here?
A.I. Mikoyan. You showed such a poor
hospitality to him, that he can hardly be con-
vinced to come to New York again. Such a
great power as the United States should be
ashamed to mistreat such a small country.
When Stevenson had not yet been the USA
representative [in the United Nations -
trans.], he had good understanding of ev-
erything, but now apparently his official
position makes him speak and act in a dif-
ferent way.
Stevenson. We learn in government
office, but we forget nothing. We immedi-
ately accepted the proposal on inspection by
the Red Cross. I do not know how many
Soviet ships are approaching Cuba, but I
would prefer that there will be more of them,
so that they would sooner take away your
missiles. I must tell you that we were very
favorably impressed by the speed with
which Soviet officers dismantle the missiles.
McCloy. I am struck by the speed of
assembling as well as disassembling [of the
A.I.Mikoyan. It is correct that there is
sufficient amount of armament in Cuba, but
we already stopped sending it there.
McCloy. Yes, but we cannot risk, when
it may happen that some arms are being
withdrawn and other arms are being shipped
in. When the missile equipment will be
shipped off, the political atmosphere will
ameliorate and it will be easier to agree. You
preferred U.N. inspections to an inspection
of the Red Cross. We agreed to that. We are
interested in your ships reaching Cuba soon,
and we will not obstruct their way.
A.I. Mikoyan. Arms were not provided
to Cuba to attack the United States, but as a
means of containment [sderzhivaiyuchego],
so that there was no aggression against
Cuba. But since in his answer to the letter
of N.S. Khrushchev J. Kennedy gave the
assurance that neither the United States, nor
its Latin American allies would attack Cuba,
we declared our readiness to pull out some
types of armaments from Cuba.
Stevenson. I do not think there is any
disagreement on the issue that Soviet ships
should enter the ports of Cuba. It is only
that the “quarantine” should be preserved
until the establishment of the Red Cross
inspection. We are interested to see that there
will be no new shipments of arms, and we
hope you will understand us.
A.I. Mikoyan. We agreed with the pro-
posals of U Thant and declared that we
would not bring armaments to Cuba pend-
ing the talks. Those ships that are now at
sea carrying no weapons at all. I must say
that Stevenson is a good diplomat: I am
pushing him in one direction of the talk, but
he veers off.
Then for some time the conversation
was focused on the issues of protocol na-
ture.
In the second half of the conversation
the discussion of business resumes.
A.I. Mikoyan. Yet I would like to pose
the following question. Would the USA gov-
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