YOUR MEETING WITH UK FOREIGN SECRETARY SIR ALEC DOUGLAS-HOME; LONDON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1974, 9:00 - 10:45 A.M.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-474-1-11-2
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 20
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: December 5, 2012
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: February 23, 1974
• Content Type: MEMO

.-.I- . i . J AA /C i R.,.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/12/05: LOC-HAK-474-1-11-2
MEMORANDUM
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
TOP SECRET/ SENSITIVE EYES ONLY INFORMATION
February 23, 1974
MEMORANDUM FOR SECRETARY KISSINGER
FROM: A. Denis Clift ~'.
SUBJECT: Your Meeting With UK Foreign Secretary
Sir Alec Douglas-Home; London, Tuesday,
February 26, 1974, 9:00 - 10:45 a. m.
Your principle purpose in meeting with Sir Alec will be to consult on the
Middle East and to provide him with a review of the steps you are planning
to take in your upcoming round of Middle Eastern negotiations. Background
papers and talking points on these issues have been staffed separately by
Hal Saunders and are already in your books for the trip.
Additiona.lr, with regard to the next EC approach to the Arabs, you have
received/eagle at Tab A conveying the message from Sir Alec: "Not to
worry, the UK will veto anything that might injure U. S. interests or efforts
in the Middle East.
You will also wish to touch base with Sir Alec on:
-- Energy Conference Next Steps,
-- Diego Garcia,
-- US-NATO and US-EC Declarations,
JCS review
completed.
1. Energy Conference - Next Steps
The Energy Conference follow-up meeting of the international coordinating
committee will have convened on February 25, just prior to your meeting
with Sir Alec. The British are continuing to play a positive role; they are
sending a strong delegation to the follow-up meeting headed by Sir Jack
Rampton who, as you know, worked with the United States on the preparations
for the Energy Conference. The President on February 18 sent a Cabinet
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE/EYES ONLY
MORI/CDF
C03345770
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Office message to the Prime Minister expressing his appreciation for
the constructive role played by the UK delegation during the Energy
Conference, and you have sent a message of appreciation to Sir Alec.
You may wish to make the following points:
-- You greatly appreciate the strong delegation the UK has sent to the
February 25 coordinating committee meeting,
-- You attach considerable significance to this meeting as it is
important not to lose momentum in implementing the decisions of the
Energy Conference.
-- You recognize, of course, that there will still be problems ahead,
but you are confident that a good work program will be developed, and the
United States will continue to press hard for concrete, tangible results.
-- You are hopeful that the French will eventually decide on some
form of participation; however, in any event, we will move ahead, as it
is essential to develop cooperative solutions to the international energy
problems.
IL Diego Garcia
On February 20, UK Charge Sykes was given the President's reply to
Prime Minister Heath's letter of February 5 regarding the US-UK private
understanding on Diego Garcia.
In his reply the President accepted the Prime Minister's assurances that
?- he will give rapid and sympathetic consideration to any US proposal for
use of the facilities, and the President, in turn, assured Heath that he would
r`-kf #.' consult with him at the earliest possible stage should we have to make some
ery
144 T,. -1
cl - w r-_- - ~.~...ti+~.. a u aaa rla 4.i~r.1a4 - t,I LAUYl . ~y4 .L -
standing, a DOD/State team will have arrived in London on February 25 to
negotiate an exchange of notes constituting an Executive Agreement. You
eov
-- the President's reply to the Prime Minister has been delivered
to the British;
-- we greatly appreciate the positive spirit in which this understanding
was reached;
-- you would again confirm, as did the President in his letter, that
the United States will plan on early consultations with the UK should they
be required;
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE/EYES ONLY
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-- the decision to expand the Diego Garcia facilities is important
for its contribution to strategic stability;
-- On the rated L1K-US strategic issue of Super Antelope, you
are pleased that the United States has been able to give the UK a positive
response on proceeding with the Polaris improvement program.
III. US-NATO and US-EC Declarations
There has been some forward movement with the French on the NATO
Declaration as the result of Rumsfeld's recent talks with DeRose. We
are still waiting for the EC to take the next formal step by providing us
with their revised text of the EC Declaration.
Acting on White House instructions, Ambassador Rumsfeld has privately
informed Secretary General Luns that the United States believes April 25
would be a good date for the signing of the NATO Declaration. Rumsfeld
has also indicated to UK Ambassador Peck that we think London would
offer the right site for the signing of the Declaration. In response Peck
has advised us that the UK has already raised this with Luns who says
that Belgium must be given first choice. Luns has confirmed this to
Rumsfeld saying that "at this date it would be impossible to hold the
signing ceremony in London because Belgium would be so embarrassed".
The British plan to pursue this with Luns after their February 28 elections.
You may wish to make the following points:
-- We seem to be making some headway on the NATO Declaration,
although the French still want explicit reference to the US-USSR nuclear
agreement which we cannot accept.
- You also believe it is important in the NATO Declaration to
remove the reference to a differentiated threat to the United States and
Europe. In this regard, the Canadians have tabled a useful formulation.
-- How does the EC calendar look at this point, in terms of the
next round of consultations on the US-EC Declaration? (Current indications
are that the EC may provide us with its revised text on March 5, and the
next round of consultations may take place on March 14 in Bonn -- this
timing would mesh with the March 13 reinforced NAC meeting of political
directors.) In this declaration, the recognition in someway of the spirit
of US-European partnership is important to the United States.
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE/ EYES ONLY
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-- It is important to have Japan associated, with the Declarations;
accordingly, you hope the UK will agree with us on the desirability of
an EC-Japan-US trilateral.declaration.
-- You will continue to consult with Sir Alec. on the site for the
NATO Declaration signing.
IV. SALT
You will wan t_olbring the Britisl~to speed on our SALT proposal, in
particular th ,~MIRV throw weigh, concept. (The NAC has not yet been
briefed.) You should explain that our main emphasis is on trying to
control the new Soviet ICBMs and to forestall the need for a U. S. buildup.
Additionally, you may wish to make the following points:
-- The other key elements of our approach are:
- Equal numerical aggregates of central strategic systems
at 2350.
- A program of phased mutual reductions over a 10-15 year
period.
-- At the same time, we do not yet have a clear Soviet reaction to
our proposal but we have agreed to make every effort to conclude an
agreement before the President's visit this summer.
A copy of State's briefing memorandum is at Tab B.
Hat Saunders, Chuck Cooper and Jan Lodal concur.
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE/EYES ONLY
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TAGS: PFOR
SUGJECT:
FOR THE SECRETM Y FROM SONNENFELDT
SYKES HAS JUST PEEN IN TO SEE ME ON INSTRUCTIONS TO CONVEY
AN ORAL i]ESS.Y TO YOU FROM ALEC HOME IN REGARD T O Y +j :
BRbAKIV- ASr ON THEE EC. APPROACH TO T :'. ti:n:i i ?
OF HOME'S FOLLOW-UP COM,IENTS IS NOT 70
WORRY AND T .. Ti E. BR TISH DILL VETO ANYTHING THAT U'OULD
INJURE OUR E : i E'ES T S OR EFFORTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
3ADE NO OTHER THAN TO THANK SYKES IN
AND TO 5?`.' Y A `ID DID NOT THINK YOU HAD QUESTI N t~ E
I.VTENTIO: F THE BRITISH OR THE OTHERS BUT WERE C0NCE: ED
ABOUT THE O 4ECTIV.E EFFECTS OF WHAT THE NINE WERE P' A