REPORT RE REPORTED REMARKS OF DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER SEMENOV AND SOVIET SALT A

Created: 5/1/1972

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

reported remarks of deputy foreign minister semenov and soviet salt advisor kishilov during a luncheon conversation uith us salt advicor carthoff. au ' , helsinki:

Semenov then turned to one substantive matter: limitations on OLPAIts. He said that he thought it was now just about resolved, but there was the small matter of determining the level of the HSR. Semenov stated that our Delegation had indicated that the power level of the MSR. nterrupted to sayhought the Delegation had informallythat the level of the MSR could beandwere now seeking authority to indicate more officially and precisely the level. Semenov's visage clouded, and he said that there was information "in thehich indicated that the maximum .level of the MSR was somewhat higher thanhich we had indicated. sked 5emenoveference, but he declined to provide it. After considerable fencing, he would say no more than that it had appeared in the American press within the last year. emarked that we could spend the next two or three weeks combing through the American press to sec what might have been said about the MSR level but that would not be very fruitful. The main thing was that we knew what the level of the MSR was, and that there needed to be agreement between the two sides.

He said experts could discuss the matter.

This exchange with Semenov was resumed during the luncheon, but without further elucidation of the Soviet view. At one point,as pressing Semenov for an indication of the Soviet understanding of the MSR/ OLPAR level, Semenov blurted out that he was not authorized to tell us.

Interspersed between encounters with Semenov, Kishilovlso discussed this issue. hispered conference with Semenov, Kishilov finally told me that the figure they were authorized to agree toO7- bjected that this was not the power of the MSR and asked if it represented tho

smallest Soviet ABM radar. Kishilov replied "Oh, no, ours is much larger." Kishilov also repeated that this figure had appeared in the American press, and he thought it had appeared in Secretary Laird'sin February. gain said this was not the correct figure for the HSR, and that it was much too high. as quite sure there was no such figure in the Laird statement, nor in any other official statement.

Kishilov at one point suggested that if we could notith the MSR level, perhaps we should agreeormula splitting the difference between the smallest US ABM radar and the (larger) smallestMmplying that would be another way of arriving at agreements the OLPAR level. hook my head in the negative.

Semenov, through Kishilov, indicated that he did not want to discuss the OLPAR question further until Ambassador Smith'sad the impression that he was concerned lest the burgeoning discord on the OLPAR issue might be reported back andpanner in the works of the machinery producing the anticipated new guidance for the American Delegation.