Office of the Historian

213. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission in Geneva1

Washington, June 13, 1974, 0046Z.

125456. Subject: CSCE: Mediterranean Declaration. Geneva for Ambassador Sherer, US CSCE Del.

1.
Taking into account the views of the Nine conveyed in the May 30 call on Counselor Sonnenfeldt and Assistant Secretary Hartman by FRG Ambassador Von Staden2 and to Ambassador Hillenbrand by Van Well (Bonn 8578),3 and based upon the Secretary’s June 11 discussion with FRG FonMin Genscher at Salzburg,4 the Secretary indicated to Genscher that the US would drop our objection to tabling by the Nine of a separate declaration on the Mediterranean.
2.
Accordingly, in NATO caucus June 13 you should draw on the following talking points:
  • —We have carefully considered the views expressed in the North Atlantic Council and to the United States by the EC Nine and others on the proposal of Italy for a separate CSCE Mediterranean declaration.
  • —In the course of Secretary Kissinger’s meeting with FRG Foreign Minister Genscher on June 11, the Secretary indicated to him as chairman of the Foreign Ministers of the Nine that the United States is prepared to join in agreement to the tabling in CSCE of the Italian draft as a basis for further discussion among the CSCE participants.
  • —The United States welcomed the opportunities to consult with the Allies on the proposed Mediterranean declaration, both in the North Atlantic Council and with the Nine members of the EC.
  • —We are prepared to join a consensus of the Allies on this matter and would hope that a decision could be reached at today’s meetings to table the Italian proposal.
3.
For USNATO, USEC, NATO capitals and Dublin: you may draw on paragraph 2, above, in informing Allies and Irish on US position concerning Mediterranean declaration.5
Sisco
  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 708, Country Files, Europe, Switzerland, Vol. III. Secret; Immediate;Exdis. Drafted by Streator and cleared by Sonnenfeldt, Lowenstein, and Luers (S/S); approved by Hartman. Repeated to all NATO capitals, Moscow, Dublin, and the Mission to the EC in Brussels.↩
  2. Von Staden met with Sonnenfeldt and the Acting Assistant Secretary for European Affairs Wells Stabler on May 30. A memorandum of their conversation is ibid., RG 59, Records of the Office of the Counselor, Entry 5339, Box 3, HS Chron.↩
  3. Not found.↩
  4. See Document 212. Kissinger’s meeting with Genscher took place in Bad Reichenhall, not Salzburg.↩
  5. Telegram 3353 from USNATO, June 13, reported: “U.S. rep informed Senior Polads on June 13 of U.S. decision to support Italy and EC-Nine on tabling of Mediterranean declaration. Decision was heartily welcomed.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files.)↩