Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXXI, Foreign Economic Policy, 1973–1976

30. Backchannel Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to Secretary of the Treasury Shultz in Paris¹

Washington, March 10, 1973, 1550Z.

WH30719. Following is a text of a letter from Brandt to the President which has just been delivered.

Begin text. Bonn, March 8, 1973. Dear Mr. President:

Thank you very much for your letter of 5 March.²

In my letter of 2 March³ I did not, of course, advocate any solution to the currency problems that could impair Atlantic cooperation. I did not and do not hold any such view. You know from the developments of the last few days and from the contacts between Secretary Shultz, Dr. Kissinger and Minister Schmidt that my efforts have been devoted to finding a solution which does justice to all the Federal Republic’s international commitments. Mr. Shultz and Herr Schmidt will, I am informed, meet in Paris on Friday morning,⁴ and Mr. Shultz will be meeting me next week in Bonn. This will give us the opportunity to discuss, in the atmosphere of frankness and mutual confidence usual at our meetings, the problems which have arisen.

I am confident that we can find solutions which strengthen both European integration and Atlantic partnership.

With best wishes, sgd. Willy Brandt End text

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 953, VIP Visits, George P. Shultz (Europe & USSR), March 8–22, 1973 [& September–October]. Confidential; Immediate; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only; Urgent. The message was sent to Shultz through the Embassy in Paris.
2. Apparently a reference to Document 18.
3. Document 15.
4. March 9.