Spacedaily writes to say about President. Kennedy's Sept 20th 1963 address to the UN General Assembly
"I include among these possibilities," he added, "a joint expedition to the Moon." Why, the President asked, should the United States and the Soviet Union conduct parallel efforts that would include "duplication, of research, construction, and expenditure?"
The article referenced suggests the hint of joint-cooperation in space may have sprung from a view to share/reduce cost & effort. Assuming this to be true brings one to the question -
In what areas was the relevant Soviet technology more developed than that of the United States at that time? Or would such collaboration simply have shared the burden of research, development, implementation, and execution in a field equally new to both parties in all aspects?