1979 AMENDMENTS TO LAJES AGREEMENT WITH PORTUGAL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85M00364R000400530056-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 19, 2010
• Sequence Number: 56
• Publication Date: September 13, 1982
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/06/01: CIA-RDP85M00364R000400530056-2
1979 AMENDMENTS TO LADES AGREEMENT WITH PORTUGAL
Background. The 1951 Defense Agreement between Portugal
and the US, previously extended in 1957 and 1971, defines US
base rights in the Azores. The 1979 extension expires Febru-
ary 4, 1983; while of nine years in duration, it had been made
retroactive to 1974 to cover the five years during which we
had de facto but not de _ure peacetime privileges.
General Objectives. Our main goal was to maintain the
relatively unhampered use we have had of Lajes, and in parti-
cular to secure renewed coverage of our peacetime use of the
facility. We succeeded fully. The facility is extremely val-
uable to us as a transit/staging point to Europe, Africa, the
Middle East, and Asia. Lajes also serves us as a base for anti-
submarine warfare.
Transits. The description of our transit rights in the
1951 agreement is ambiguous, stating only that "the transit of
American military aircraft continues to be permitted." Since
the agreement supports the NATO relationship of the two coun-
tries, Portugal has occasionally implied that transit is guar-
anteed only for missions in support of NATO. We maintain that
we also have the right of non-NATO transit, but have carefully
consulted with the Portuguese to avoid bringing the issue to a
head.
In the spring of 1982, Portugal denied a (relatively min-
or) transit for the first time as a means of expressing its un-
happiness over the sharply reduced levels of grant aid it is
receiving. Behind this unhappiness lies the GoP's increasing
worries about its ability to sustain needed force improvements
and its fear of coming under Spain's shadow now that the latter
has joined NATO. The USG is addressing these concerns.
Quids. The US offered to Portugal $80 million in grant
economic assistance in four equal installments during FY 8U-83
(for use in the Azores) and $60 million in grant military as-
sistance during FY 1980-81.
Technical Arrangements. The 1979 amendments committed
both parties to review technical arrangements at Lajes, in-
cluding labor relations, a sensitive issue locally.
9/13/82
DECL: OADR
9A/B1 0
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/06/01: CIA-RDP85M00364R000400530056-2
 Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/06/01: CIA-RDP85M00364R000400530056-2
CONFIDENTIAL
1980 DEFENSE AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION
AGREEMENT (DECA) WITH TURKEY
General Objectives. The United States obtained Turkish
acceptance of our most important objectives in the 1978-1980
DECA negotiations. The primary goal, reactivation of our mil-
itary operations in Turkey under acceptable terms of use, was
achieved.
Facility Rii hts and Flexibility of Use. Overall, the US
was succcessful in obtaining satisfactory flexibility. In par-
ticular, we were able to obtain an annex on air operations
which, while it could have been better, met our minimum re-
quirements. In practice, we have not had serious problems
with Turkish command, control, or oversight in the agreement's
implementation. The limitation of our presence to "NATO acti-
vities" was carried over into the new agreement.
Out-of-Area Transits/Overflights. We did not gain Turkish
acceptance of a provision authorizing us to conduct non-NATO
use of Turkish facilities. We made it clear in private and
public discussions following the signature of the agreement
that this did not mean we considered ourselves prohibited from
requesting use of Turkish facilities for other than NATO pur-
poses.
Quid. We advanced for the first time the concept of an
annual, non-specific "best effort" on defense support. Its
incorporation in an agreement with one of the five major base
host allies marked a departure from the specific, multi-year
obligations of the Seventies.
11/3/82
9A/B1 1
CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/06/01: CIA-RDP85M00364R000400530056-2