291. Agreement Between the United States and the United Kingdom 1

AGREEMENT ON FUTURE ACTION ON FOUR-POWER WORKING GROUP REPORT ON GERMAN REUNIFICATION AND EUROPEAN SECURITY2

With a view to forestalling possible future initiatives from other quarters and promoting better understanding of the Western attitude towards the problems of German reunification and European security, the United Kingdom and United States governments agree to approach the French and German governments and propose:

(i)
that the Working Group should pursue urgently its consideration of the ways and means of clarifying and possibly amplifying the Geneva proposals and should hold a further meeting for that purpose in April in Bonn.
(ii)
that the Working Group’s report of March 15, 1957 should be forwarded to the North Atlantic Council as soon as possible, without being formally approved by the four governments, for preliminary discussion in the Council in the light of (i) above.

  1. Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 868. This agreement embodies conclusions reached in the discussion between Secretary Dulles and Foreign Secretary Lloyd on March 22; see Document 279.
  2. The Working Group, composed of experts from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Federal Republic of Germany, considered the problem of German reunification in Washington, March 6–15. Its report is in Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/3–1657.