Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXXVIII, Part 2, Organization and Management of Foreign Policy; Public Diplomacy, 1973–1976

170. National Security Decision Memorandum 244¹

Washington, February 8, 1974.

TO

• The Secretary of the Treasury
• The Secretary of Defense
• The Secretary of the Interior
• The Deputy Secretary of State
• The Director of Central Intelligence
• The Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission
• The Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers
• The Director, Federal Energy Office
• The Director, Office of Management and Budget
• The Assistant to the President for International Economic Policy

SUBJECT

• International Energy Review Group

In view of the significance of recent changes in the international energy market, the President has directed the establishment of an International Energy Review Group (IERG), chaired by the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. The IERG will analyze the international implications of U.S. and foreign supply and demand in the field of energy and formulate policy recommendations to the President in the international energy area. Membership will consist of representatives of the addressees. Representatives of other agencies will be invited to participate as appropriate.

A Working Group of the IERG, chaired by the Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs, shall continuously review the international political and economic implications of the world energy situation and their linkages to U.S. foreign and domestic policies and programs. It will be responsible for directing the necessary policy analysis and for formulating policy recommendations to the IERG.

The IERG shall also establish a subcommittee on policy implementation and operations to be chaired by the Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance. The subcommittee will be responsible for the implementation of policy, including interdepartmental coordination, and the preparation of the U.S. positions on energy related matters for international meetings and conferences.

Henry A. Kissinger

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–244, National Security Decision Memoranda, NSDM 244. Confidential. Copies were sent to the Secretary of Commerce and the Special Representative for Trade Negotiations. An earlier version of the NSDM omitted the Director of the Office of Management and Budget from the recipient list. (Ibid., RG 59, Records of the Office of the Counselor—Helmut Sonnenfeldt, Entry 5339, Box 4, Energy) The NSDM is also printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. XXXVI, Energy Crisis, 1969–1974, Docu-ment 310.