Memcons and Telcons

Memoranda of Conversation or “memcons” are the written record of face-to-face meetings between the President or Vice President and heads of state or foreign officials. Memoranda of Telephone Conversation or “telcons” are the written record of those meetings which occur by phone. Because presidential meetings and phone calls are not recorded, memcons and telcons are not verbatim transcripts. A team of note takers are present at head of state meetings to ensure that the final memo is as accurate as possible. White House Situation Room Duty Officers and National Security Council staff listen in on foreign leader calls and combine their notes to produce the final telcon. Memcons and telcons not only serve as a reminder to the President and his staff of what was agreed upon in the meeting, but they also document foreign relations during the administration.

The following table contains memcons and telcons that have been declassified in whole or in part in response to Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) requests. Additional memcons and telcons will be added upon release.