STEPS TO IMPROVE U.S.-ARGENTINE RELATIONS - 1980/06/14

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05520255
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: June 14, 1980

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MEMORANDUM FOR:
From:
Subject.:
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
WASHINGTON
June 14, 1980
ee
THE PRESIDENT Jdoe Ate,
oiddiWarren Christopher, Acting
Steps To Improve U.S.-Argentine
Relations
Pursuant to your instructions, the Inter-Agency
Group for the American Republics has prepared a plan
of action for 1980, which I am submitting for your
approval.
I. OBJECTIVES
Our principal objectives in moving �to improve
our relationship with Argentina are to:
-- foster Argentina's identification with the
West and thus to contain Soviet political and economic
influence;
-- encourage further specific improvements in
human rights practices;
41,
seek assistance on appropriate East-West issues
(e.g. grains); and
-- obtain progress on nonproliferation objectives,
particularly full-scope safeguards and ratification
of the Treaty of Tlatelolco, and foster increased
sensitivity among Argentine leaders to global nonproliferation
concerns.
We also wish to encourage continued Argentine
cooperation with the Papal mediation of Argentina's
dispute with Chile over territorial limits in the
Beagle Channel, a dispute that very nearly led to
war between the two countries in late 1978. Finally,
we wish to encourage Argentina to play a constructive
role with respect to developments in Central America
and other Hemispheric issues.
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II. ACTIONS FOR 1980
1. The Consultative Process
We will continue the process of political and
economic consultations begun with General Goodpaster's
visit to Buenos Aires in January. We contemplate:
-- a visit by the Assistant Secretary for Inter-
American Affairs to Buenos Aires, possibly about August
1, durfngwhlch he will review our policy concerns
and the state of our relations and will be prepared
to discuss steps we would plan to take to strengthen
cooperation in selected areas, depending on the nature
of the Argentine response.
-- a meeting of the U.S.-Argentine Mixed Economic
Commission in October, the U.S. delegation possibly
to be chaired by the Under Secretary of State for
Economic Affairs. The meeting would include discussion
of ongoing efforts to resolve bilateral trade issues
and to expand commercial relations.
-- periodic policy talks on global and hemispheric
Issues, with the first round to be held during the
VTETE�of the Assistant Secretary for Inter-American
Affairs.
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2. Military Relations
We will begin to rebuild relations through increased
contact and consultations, while stressing that further
progress on human rights will be essential to the
more fundamental improvement in these relations (including
consideration of modification of the Humphrey/Kennedy
Amendment, as reported in the conclusions of the PRC
meeting). We plan to:
--begin periodic security consultations with
Argentina; the first round, to be held this year in
Buenos Aires, would focus on Soviet activities in
the South Atlantic;
--invite an Argentine Armed Forces team to make
a return visit to Washington later in the year to
discuss global defense issues;
--invite Argentina to send a guest instructor
to the U.S. Army School of the Americas after consulting
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with members of Congress to ensure that this initiative
would not be regarded as conflicting with the spirit
of the Humphrey-Kennedy Amendment.
Other issues are:
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--High-Level Military Visit.
We will keep under review the desirability of
proceeding with an invitation to a senior Argentine
military leader (such as the Commander-in-Chief of
the Argentine Army or the Army Chief-of-Staff) to
visit Washington this year. A final decision on this
(including the question of timing) should take into
account the implications of such a move on the selection
of the next Argentine president now under way within
the Argentine Armed Forces, as well as continued improvements
in the observance of human rights and developments
in U.S.-Argentine relations.
--Sale of P-3 Aircraft.
In DOD's view, there is a strategic need for
the sale of ocean surveillance aircraft to the GOA.
We see no possibility, however, of seeking special
legislation which would modify the Humphrey-Kennedy
Amendment to permit the sale of these aircraft to
Argentina this year.
3. Human Rights
We will continue the dialogue on human rights
with Argentine leaders, principally but not exclusively
through Ambassador Castro and during the visit by
the Assistant Secretary for Inter-American Affairs,
Ambassador Bowdler. In these consultations we will
attempt to obtain assurances that:
-- the GOA will accept an OASGA resolution which
recognizes the role of the OAS Commission on Human
Rights and which encompasses a call for further improvements
by Argentina;
-- there will be no new disappearances, including
no disappearances of persons alleged to be terrorists;
-- all persons suspected of terrorism or subversive
activities, including unacknowledged detainees, will
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be processed through normal judicial channels and
ensured due process;
-- guarantees will be instituted to prevent the
torture of detainees; and
-- there be substantial progress, in advance
of the OASGA, in reducing the number of political
prisoners held without charges through release, trial,
or exile (during his recent visit, Ambassador Smith
was assured that half of these prisoners-1,300 at
the time--would be released or sentenced by the end
of the year).
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The Inter-Agency Group noted that an accounting
of the fate of disappeared persons was being addressed
in UN fora and concluded that, while this should not
be a central requirement for the improvement of our
bilateral relations, it should remain an important
U.S. objective. We should urge Argentina, in bilateral
discussions, to cooperate with these multilateral
efforts, particularly with the UN Human Rights Commission's
new expert working group on disappeared persons and
with other groups such as the Catholic Church.
In addition to human rights discussions initiated
by the Ambassador and by Assistant Secretary Bawdier,
the U.S. side of the Mixed Economic Commission will
be prepared to raise or respond to human rights concerns
in discussions with their Argentine counterparts,
and will be fully briefed for this purpose.
4. Nuclear Relations
We want to move Argentina over time to accept
IAEA safeguards on future as well as current facilities
(including the reprocessing facility) and to ratify
the Treaty of Tlatelolco. To do this, we need to
keep open the door for continued cooperation with
Argentina's nuclear program to the extent commensurate
with your policy. We should:
-- try to resolve promptly, in accordance with
U.S. law and our nonproliferation objectives, the
remaining safeguards issues to permit delivery of
highly and moderately enriched fuel for Argentina's
research program, as well as components for its power
program;
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-- once this is done, undertake a review of the
conditions under which we could facilitate expanded
participation by U.S. industry in Argentina's nuclear
program. (A major case currently at issue is an export
license application for the sale of a pressure vessel
for the Atucha II power reactor.)
5. Other Cooperative Steps
In addition, we would:
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--Sign the pending U.S.-Argentine Agricultural
Cooperation A9reement during the visit of the Assistant
Secretary for Inter-American Affairs;
--Seek to conclude the negotiations for the bilateral
income tax treaty;
--Seek to negotiate a consular convention.
6. Consultations with Other Allies
The Inter-Agency Group also considered whether
and in what form the Administration should consult
our NATO allies and Japan about issues of common concern
such as human rights and recent Soviet initiatives
toward Argentina and other countries in the Hemisphere.
These subjects and our policies thereon could be discussed
within NATO fora such as the Political Advisors Committee,
the Permanent council, and the NATO experts group
on Latin America. Depending on the results of these
consultations, we could consider further actions in
Buenos Aires. A majority of the Interagency Group
recommended against new high-level bilateral approaches
to our Allies on these issues. We would continue
the practice of consulting on human rights in the
appropriate UN fora, such as the UN Human Rights Commission.
7. Implications for U.S. Policy Toward Brazil and
Chile
The Group also considered the implications for
neighboring countries, especially as regards security
consultations.
With respect to Brazil, the Group noted that
many of these steps will restore a better balance
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in U.S. relations with the two countries, since the
U.S. already has a comprehensive consultative process
with Brazil (including, most recently, security consultations).
Chile is concerned about our improving relationship
with Argentina, which it sees as threatening in the
context of the Beagle Channel dispute. We have attempted
to persuade the Chileans that what we are doing with
Argentina has nothing to do with Chile or with our
position on the Beagle Channel, which is to encourage
acceptance of the outcome of Papal mediation and avoidance
of war. This issue will be more fully addressed in
the review of our relations with Chile later this year.
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Concurrences:
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H - Mr. J. Brian Atwood
EB - Mr Deane Hinton
HA - Ms. Patt Derian
OES - Mr. Louis Nosenzo
PM - Mr. Daniel O'Donohue
EUR/SOV - Mr. Robert Per ito
EUR/RMP - Mr. Stephen Ledogar
S/P - Mr. Anthony Lake
IO - Mr. Michael Newlin
S/AS - Mr. Allen Locke
USOAS - Mr. Herbert Thompson
AID/RDP - Mr. David Raymond
NSC - Mr. Thomas Thornton
OPIC - Ms. Caryl Bernstein
STR - Mr. Robert Hormatz
DOD/ISA - Col. Patrick Briggs
JCS - Admiral J.A. Lyons
CIA-
Commerce - Mr. A. Katz
Treasury - Mr. Fred Bergsten
USDA - Mr. Dale Hathaway
DOE - Mr. Les Goldman
EXIMBANK - Mr. Craf ton
ACDA - Mr. Charles Van Doren
ICA - Mr. Victor Olason
L/PM - Mr. T. Borek
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