179. Memorandum of Conversation0
SEATO MEETING
Washington, D.C., May 31-June 2, 1960
SUBJECT
- Supply of Enriched Uranium to France
PARTICIPANTS
- The Secretary
- Mr. C. Douglas Dillon, Under Secretary
- Mr. Foy D. Kohler, Assistant Secretary, EUR
- M. Maurice Couve de Murville, French Foreign Minister
- M. Claude Lebel, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., French Embassy
The Secretary brought up the subject of the French request for the supply of enriched uranium for the “Rapsodie” project.
Couve said that there were really two separate problems involved. The first was the matter of an amendment to the French-U.S. bilateral agreement and he thought that the proposal should be acceptable to us. The second was the question of French arrangements to be made with EURATOM. He said the French wanted to sign an agreement with us promptly, knowing that Congress would be adjourning before long.
After noting that a Congressional waiver would be possible, Mr. Dillon said that we could look over the French proposals and express an opinion, but he did not feel that we could submit the proposed amendment to Congress unless the differences between the French and EURATOM had been cleared up without seeming to want to undercut EURATOM.
Couve said that the French were prepared to go ahead in solving their problem with EURATOM but they did not want to lose the possibility of concluding bilaterals in the atomic energy field. He cited in this connection the recent agreement between France and the U.S.S.R. for exchanges in the field of peaceful uses of atomic energy.1 He said that the [Page 381] French considered that such bilaterals as this and as that proposed with the United States were permissible under Article 103 of the EURATOM Agreement.2 He did not think that the conclusion of a U.S.-French bilateral would cut across French relations with EURATOM. In this connection he commented that the participant countries had set up EURATOM to be helpful not to be an obstacle and that if it were going to be the latter, there was not much reason for its continued existence.
Mr. Dillon said that the EURATOM people think that if we conclude a bilateral with the French without their agreement, it means that we do not want to support EURATOM. He commented that they were rather emotional on the subject. Couve agreed that they were emotional but added that the difficulties did not arise from personal differences between Hirsch and Debre. He repeated that the French would like to conclude the agreement with us now during the current session of Congress.
Mr. Dillon replied that we would have a look at the French proposal, then think about the question in the light of the statements Couve had just made. Couve said that the French intended to take this matter to the court. If the French interpretation turned out to be wrong then they would ask EURATOM to make an agreement directly with us. He said the French would be very disappointed if they could not do this. It was a small but very special problem and he understood the enriched U–235 is essential for some particular kinds of reactors. He accordingly urged that the agreement be concluded promptly and that the French be allowed to settle with EURATOM later.
The Secretary said we would try to work out the terms of the agreement. Couve replied that he did not think there should be any problems in this respect. Mr. Dillon concluded the conversation by saying that he did not anticipate that there would be any problems for us either, including the matter of the delivery of atomic fuel to France.
- Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 559, CF 1686. Secret. Drafted by Kohler and approved in S on June 3 and in U on June 6. Five separate memoranda of this conversation were prepared; one (unnumbered) is printed as Document 180. The other three cover disarmament (USDel/MC/13), arms for Morocco (USDel/MC/14), and Netherlands New Guinea (USDel/MC/15); copies are in Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 559, CF 1686.↩
- See footnote 3, Document 163.↩
- See footnote 3, Document 174.↩