Office of the Historian

201. Memorandum of Conversation1

Washington, July 12, 1966.

SUBJECT

  • Spain and Europe

PARTICIPANTS

  • Spain
    • The Marques de Merry del Val, Ambassador of Spain
    • Juan Perez-Urruti, First Secretary, Embassy of Spain
    • Jaime de Ojeda, Second Secretary, Embassy of Spain
  • U.S.
    • Deputy Under Secretary Johnson
    • Frank V. Ortiz, EUR/SPP

During the Ambassador’s call he referred to Spain’s strong interest in some form of association with the EEC. He said by September Spain expected to know what form this association might take. He noted the French and Germans had been particularly helpful in supporting Spain’s petition. He believed the Belgian position had altered but that Italy and the Netherlands were still to some degree opposed to Spanish association.

The Ambassador said Spain also desired to be integrated into whatever European defense structure emerged from the current discussions. Spain hoped the U.S. could do a little more to help speed Spain’s integration into Western defense. Mr. Johnson asked if the Gibraltar dispute would not complicate Spain’s association with NATO. The Ambassador replied that a satisfactory Gibraltar solution could well facilitate Spanish participation in Western defense. He noted that already Spain was contributing more to Western defense than the Scandinavian countries opposing Spanish NATO membership. Mr. Johnson said NATO had a “lot on its platter” at the present time, and NATO was now caught up almost exclusively with the present stage of internal readjustments. He believed an Anglo-Spanish agreement on Gibraltar would be helpful in any consideration of Spain’s role in Western defense. The Ambassador noted that aside from Gibraltar Anglo-Spanish relations had every reason to be good as British trade and tourism to Spain were assuming greater importance.

[Page 400]

There followed a brief discussion of the present economic, social, and political changes in Spain which were facilitating closer Spanish relations with Europe.

  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964-66, POL SP-US. Confidential. Drafted by Ortiz and approved in G on July 21. The memorandum is Part 2 of 2 Parts. A memorandum of conversation of the portion of the discussion dealing with Gibraltar is ibid., POL 19 GIB.↩