English subtitles for clip: File:President Kennedy in Vienna, 1961, USIA.ogv

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The sight of Vienna in the spring of 1961 is that of a historic

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city fully recovered from the ravages of World War Two,

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the capital of Austria whose independence and neutrality was guaranteed by the great

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powers in the Austrian State Treaty of 1955.

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Now, in the spring of 1961

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Vienna offered its hospitality for a personal meeting

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between two world leaders against a background of historic landmarks.

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This was the scene at Vienna's airport when President Kennedy's plane arrived on the morning of

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Saturday, June 3rd.

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The world, beset by problems of Berlin and Laos, nuclear testing and

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disarmament looked to Vienna as the President of the United States arrived,

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greeted by Austrian President Adolf Schärf and Chancellor Alfons Gorbach.

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President Kennedy himself described his mission to Vienna:

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— I went to Vienna to meet the leader of the Soviet Union,

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Mr Khrushchev. For two days,

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we met in sober, intensive conversation.

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Mr Khrushchev and I had a very full and frank exchange of views

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on the major issues that now divide our two countries.

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I wanted to present our views to him directly, precisely,

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realistically and with an opportunity for discussion and clarification.

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This was done.

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As President Kennedy said in his report,

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this was not a summit meeting but rather an informal exchange of views and a way

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of keeping open the channels of communication between the United States and the Soviet Union.

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One topic of discussion was the serious situation in Laos, of increasing

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concern to the peoples of the world.

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By its actions,

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the Soviet Union would have to show whether it supported a satisfactory settlement in Laos

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where communist-backed factions were continuing hostilities against the royal government.

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President Kennedy reported a measure of agreement in Vienna:

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— Both sides endorsed the concept of a neutral and independent Laos, much in the

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manner of Burma or Cambodia and of critical importance to the

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current conference on Laos in Geneva,

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both sides recognize the importance of an effective ceasefire.

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The second meeting was held at the Soviet Embassy.

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President Kennedy expressed America's desire for effective nuclear test controls

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and a disarmament agreement.

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Mr Khrushchev's insistence on a Soviet veto over controls and on having

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disarmament precede inspection led Mr Kennedy to express his disappointment:

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— In short, our hopes for an end to nuclear tests,

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for an end to the spread of nuclear weapons

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and for some slowing down of the arms race have been struck a serious blow.

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But our most somber talks were on the subjects of Germany and Berlin.

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I made it clear to Mr Khrushchev that the security of Western Europe

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and therefore our own security are deeply involved in our

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presence and our access rights to West Berlin,

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that those rights are based on law,

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not on sufferance and that we are determined to maintain those rights at any

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risk and thus meet our obligation to the people of West Berlin

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and their right to choose their own future.

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President Kennedy himself drew the balance of his two day meeting with Chairman Khrushchev.

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— I will tell you now that it was a very sober two days,

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there was no discourtesy,

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no loss of tempers,

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no threats or ultimatums by either side.

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No advantage or concession was either gained or given.

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No major decision was either planned or taken.

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No spectacular progress was either achieved or pretended.

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London was the last stop on the President's journey.