Office of the Historian

354. Memorandum From Paul Schott Stevens of the National Security Council Staff to the White House Press Secretary (Fitzwater)1

Washington, July 6, 1988

SUBJECT

  • Request for Hungarian Television Interview With the President

At Tab A is a telegram from our Ambassador to Budapest reporting that Hungarian television has requested a short Presidential interview [Page 1133] or prepared statement to be broadcast in connection with Hungarian Prime Minister Grosz’s official working visit on July 27.

We strongly endorse this request. Hungary is in the forefront of reform in Eastern Europe, and the Grosz visit will be historic: the first visit by a Hungarian Prime Minister since 1946. Televised comments by the President will have a vast audience in Hungary and offer an opportunity to endorse the internal reforms underway in the country.

We recommend agreeing, as a first preference, to a five-minute on camera interview with 4–5 questions submitted in advance or, as an alternative, a three-minute prepared statement.

The State Department also endorses this interview, and USIA Director Wick has sent a letter to Fred Ryan recommending that this interview be scheduled.2

Tab A

Telegram From the Embassy in Hungary to the United States Information Agency and the White House3

6657.
Budapest, June 28, 1988, 1401Z

SUBJECT

  • Hungarian Television Interview With President Reagan.
1.
Hungarian television has come to me to ask for a few minutes of the President’s time for an interview in the context of General Secretary Grosz’s visit to the United States. This is an opportunity to get to virtually all ten million Hungarians and the President’s words would have an enormous impact here. It would be an opportunity for him to talk about the great benefits of a free enterprise economic system and a democratic political system at a time when Hungary is more open to change than at any moment since 1956. If the President would not want to do an interview he could perhaps read a brief statement and we could provide written answers to some written questions submitted by the Hungarian press.
Palmer
  1. Source: Reagan Library, Rudolf Perina Files, Subject File, President’s Meeting with Prime Minister K. Grosz, Hungary 07/27/1988 (2). Confidential. Copies were sent to Frederick Ryan and Mari Maseng.↩
  2. Not found.↩
  3. Confidential.↩