SOVIET INSTRUCTIONS RELATING TO THE LAW OF THE SEA CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 1981

• Document Type: FOIA
• Keywords: WARSAW PACT
• Keywords: ARMS CONTROL
• Keywords: TRANCHE 13
• Collection: CIA Analysis of the Soviet Navy
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0001478987
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: June 19, 2017
• Document Release Date: June 19, 2017
• Case Number: SC-2007-00006
• Publication Date: November 21, 1980

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APPROVED FOR RELEASE
CIA HISTORICAL RELEASE
PROGRAM
JUNE 2017
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
21 November 1980
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
FROM
John N. McMahon
Deputy Director for Operations
SUBJECT
? ? Soviet Instructions Relating to the
Law of the Sea Conference Scheduled for
March 1981
1. The enclosed Intelligence Information Special Re-
port was obtained from an extremely sensitive source, and
any leakage of this information could compromise the source.
The report should therefore be handled on a strict need-to-
know basis within recipient offices and agencies. This
report may not be reproduced, and any information from it
should not be used or referred to in any context without
prior approval from the issuing office.
2. This report provides details of instructions
issued by the Soviets for use by their emissaries who deal
with representatives of other countries on Law of the Sea
(LOS) matters during the period between the end of the Ninth
Session of the LOS Conference in late August 1980 and the
holding of the Tenth Session, scheduled for March 1981.
These instructions are also to be the basis for Soviet po-
sitions to be taken at the next conference. The instructions
are generally consistent with known Soviet positions on LOS.
John N. McMahon
TS #8O8325
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Distribution: Director of Central Intelligence
Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs
Director of Intelligence and Research
Department of State
Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
Director, National Foreign Assessment
Center.
Director of Political Analysis
Director of Geographic and Societal
Research
TS # 808325
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Intelligence Information Special Report
COUNTRY USSR/International
DATE OF
INFO. Fall 1980
SUBJECT
DATE 21 November 1980
Soviet Instructions Relating to the Tenth Session of
the Law of the Sea Conference Scheduled for March 1981
SOURCE A Soviet source
The following instructions relating to the Tenth
Session of the Law of the Sea (LOS) Conference which is
scheduled to be held in March 1981 have been issued by the
Soviet Foreign Ministry. These instructions have been for-
mulated for use by Soviet emissaries who will be dealing
with representatives of other countries on LOS matters
during the period between the ending of the Ninth Session
of the LOS Conference in late August 1980 and the Tenth
Session. These instructions are new since the last session
and will be the basis for Soviet positions to be taken in
March 1981. .
? 1. Accept the British proposal for a meeting in London
in December of five states: the USSR, USA, Japan, Great
Britain and France. Before this meeting takes place have
Soviet-American consultations in an effort to narrow the
gaps between the positions of these two countries.
2. Reject the attempts of developing and other states
(Peru, Argentina, the Phillipines, Pakistan, China, Canada
MINSFQ....ZET
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and others) aimed at breaking the agreed provisions of
the draft convention.
3. Oppose the demands of extremist states that
passage of naval vessels through territorial waters may
take place only with the permission of the coastal states,
and oppose the idea that overflight of aircraft over in-
ternational straits can be prohibited or controlled by
affected states. Oppose the right of states to control
naval maneuvers within the 200 mile economic zone.
4. Oppose any other attempts to limit naval
navigation.
5. Try to obtain agreement with other states ?that
there will be mutual refusal to introduce amendments and
changes to the Substance of the draft convention, so that
the text can be adopted by consensus at the next session.
6. Oppose the proposals by Sweden, Spain and others
to enlarge the Executive Council of the International Sea-
bed Authority. Emphasize that the renewal of discussions
regarding the council could lead to a breakdown of important
understandings on the principles of setting up the council
and the adoption of decisions. Reject attempts of developing
states to exclude from the formula of decision-making the
provision on consensus and their attempts to enlarge the
list of questions, decisions on which would be taken by a
two-thirds majority. Oppose proposals by some states for
the elaboration of a new formula for the temporary compo-
sition of the council which may be different from the com-
position provided for by the agreed formula of the draft
convention.
7. Discreetly find out the position of important
states on the following: if some of the states which
comprise the council do not ratify the convention, the
seats of these states on the council are to be left vacant
and the council will act without their participation until
they ratify the convention.
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8. The decisions of a preparatory commission for
setting up the Seabed Authority should be taken by consensus.
We should not insist on this, however, but rather agree on
a formula which will be similar to the procedure for taking
decisions on the council.
9. Agree that the rules, norms and procedures elab-
orated by the preparatory commission could be temporarily
used before their approval by the Seabed Authority on the
condition that they would be adopted by consensus in the
commission.
10. On the protection of capital investments in the
development of seabeds during the period before the con-
vention enters into force: oppose the existing proposals
on this questions, namely by the USA. Preparation of pro-
posals on such protection should be based on the agreed
provision for the convention.
11. Final provisions: support the proposal that the
convention enters into force within 12 months after it is
ratified by 60 states. Agree that states might make any
statements on the condition that such statements are not
aimed at exclusion or change of juridicial application of
the provisions of the convention in relation to this par-
ticular state. If the convention is adopted by consensus
the USSR would be ready to support prohibition of any re-
servations to the convention.
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