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ACTION NODS-00
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 /001 W
--------------------- 048755 /55
O 171800Z DEC 76
FM AMEMBASSY BERN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3667
S E C R E T BERN 5745
NODIS
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS HYLAND, WHITE HOUSE
EO 11652: GDS
TAGS: PINS
SUBJ: CORVALAN/BUKOVSKY EXCHANGE
1. CONSUL GENERAL JAMES NELSON IN ZURICH HAS BEEN FILLED IN
ON THIS EXERCISE AND WILL ASSIST ME TOMORROW DURING THE
EXCHANGE.
2. SOVIET SPECIAL REP SOLOVOV FROM MOSCOW FOREIGN MINISTRY
CAME TO SEE ME AND DCM THIS MORNING, ACCOMPANIED BY SOVIET
FIRST COUNSELOR TCHERVOV. WE DISCUSSED MODALITIES OF EXCHANGE
AT SOME LENGTH.
3. SOVIET REPS REITERATED THEIR INSISTENCE THAT
THERE BE NO PUBLICITY AND PRESS COVERAGE. I TOLD THEM THAT
WE WOULD OURSELVES COOPERATE IN THIS RESPECT AND EXPECTED
SWISS AUTHORITIES TO DO THE SAME, BUT THIS ASPECT OF
PROBLEM WAS TO SOME EXTENT OUT OF OUR HANDS.
4. WITH REGARD TO ANY OFFICIAL CHILEAN ROLE AT AIRPORT
(E.G. PRESENCE OF CHILEAN AMB TO UN SILVA
AND POSSIBILITY OF CHILEAN OFFICIALS ACCOMPANYING
CORVALAN) SOVIETS INSISTED THAT CHILEAN MUST PLAY NO
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ROLE VIS-A-VIS THEMSELVES. THEY SAID THEIR UNDER-
STANDING WAS THAT ARRANGEMENTS WERE BETWEEN US
AND SOVIETS AS PURELY BILATERAL MATTER.
(I SUBSEQUENTLY TALKED WITH AMB SILVA WHO
AGREED WITH RELUCTANCE THAT HIS ROLE SHOULD BE "PASSIVE."
HE WILL GO TO AIRPORT AND PLANS TO GREET MR AND MRS
CORVALAN AT FOOT OF LUFTHANSA AIRCRAFT RAMP. HE WOULD
THEN RETIRE TO "PRIVATE ROOM" AND AWAIT ARRIVAL
THERE OF BUKOVSKY. HE PLANS HAVE SOVIET-SPEAKING
CHILEAN COLLEAGUE FROM THE US PRESENT WITH
TAPERECORDER AND APPARENTLY PLANS MAKE PROPAGANDA
SPLASH. SILVA ALSO TOLD ME HE HAD HEARD THAT SUKAROV
HAD LET SOMETHING LEAK ABOUT THIS EXCHANGE IN MOSCOW
AND HE EXPECTED THE WORD WOULD SOON BE OUT WORLDWIDE.)
5. AS SOVIETS IN BERN AND I NOW ENVISAGE THE SCENARIO
FOR TOMORROW IT WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:
A) THE TWO AIRCRAFT WILL BE PARKED AT KLOTEN
AIRPORT FAR ENOUGH APART SO THAT WE CAN MOVE THE
EXCHANGEES BY AUTOMOBILE.
B) I WILL GREET MR AND MRS CORVALAN AT FOOT
OF LUFTHANSA AIRCRAFT RAMP ALONG WITH CHILDEAN AMB SILVA.
I WILL TAKE CORVALANS PROMPTLY INTO MY CAR AND DRIVE
WITH THEM TO SOVIET AIRCRAFT. IN MEANTIME BUKOVSKY
AND HIS MOTHER WILL HAVE LEFT SOVIET AIRCRAFT AND TAKEN
THEIR SEATS IN A SOVIET AUTOMOBILE.
C) I WILL ESCORT CORVALANS TO SOVIET AIRCRAFT
RAMP AND INTRODUCE THEM TO SOVIET OFFICIALS. AT THE SAME
TIME CONSUL GENERAL NELSON WILL GO TO SOVIET CAR AND
BRING BUKOVSKY AND HIS MOTHER TO MY CAR. I WILL THEN
RETURN TO MY CAR AND DRIVE BUKOVSKY TO THE "PRIVATE
ROOM." ON THE WAY OVER I SHALL TELL BUKOVSKY WHAT THE
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CHILEAN AMBASSADOR'S PLANS ARE.
D) WE ARE LAYING ON A SPECIAL VEHICLE TO HANDLE
LUGGAGE TRANSFERS AND HOPE LUFTHANSA WILL HAVE ARRANGED
FOR CORVALAN LUGGAGE TO BE READILY ACCESSIBLE. WE ARE
ARRANGING THAT IN ANY CASE THEY WILL BE FIRST PASSENGERS
TO DEBARK.
6. WE DISCUSSED WITH SOVIET REPS WHAT TO
DO IF BAD WEATHER PREVENTS ONE OR BOTH OF THE AIRCRAFT
FROM LANDING AT KLOTEN AIRPORT. THIS IS UNLIKELY FOR
LUFTHANSA 747 WITH ITS SOPHISTICATED ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
BUT SOVIET AIRCRAFT IS APPARENTLY NOT SO WELL EQUIPPED.
IF THE AIRPORT OR AIRPORTS OF DIVERSION ARE IN SWITZERLAND
WE WILL SIMPLY TRANSFER OUR ACTIVITIES ACCORDINGLY. IF
HOWEVER THE LUFTHANSA AIRCRAFT HAS TO LAND AT AN AIRPORT
OUTSIDE SWITZERLAND, FOR EXAMPLE STUTTGART, I SAID
WE WOULD UNDERTAKE TO INSTRUCT OUR REPRESENTATIVES
THERE TO DO THE NECESSARY.
7. (SINCE DRAFTING OF FOREGOING MESSAGE WE HAVE RE-
CEIVED NEWS FROM THE SOVIETS HERE - AS WELL AS FROM
WASHINGTON - THAT BUKOVSKY'S SISTER OLGA KOUSTANTINOVNA
IVANOVA AND HER SICK BOY, MICHAIL IVANOV, WILL BE ON
THE SOVIET PLANE. I HAVE TALKED WITH THE SWISS, AND
WE ARE MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR AMBULANCE, DOCTOR,
STRETCHER, ADMISSION TO A SWISS HOSPITAL IF NEEDED,
AND LODGING FOR THE BUKOVSKYS.)
DAVIS
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