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  4. Document 260

260. Memorandum of Conversation1

Lisbon, May 30, 1970, 10:30 a.m.

PARTICIPANTS

  • United States
  • The Secretary of State
  • Ambassador Knight
  • Counselor Pedersen
  • Assistant Secretary Hillenbrand
  • Deputy Assistant Secretary Robert J. McCloskey
  • Robert W. Zimmermann, DCM Lisbon
  • George W. Landau, Country Director, Spain/Portugal
  • Diego C. Asencio, Political Officer
  • Portugal
  • Foreign Minister Rui Patricio
  • Dr. Jose Luis Archer, Secretary General of Foreign Office
  • Dr. Goncalo Caldeira Coelho, Director General of Political Affairs
  • Ambassador Garin
  • Dr. Jose Calvet de Magalhaes, Director General of Economic Affairs
  • Dr. Antonio Patricio, Chief, International Political Organizations

SUBJECT

  • Azores: Economic Cooperation in the Fields of Education and Agriculture

The Secretary mentioned the possibility of a closer relationship with Portugal in the field of education and possibly agriculture without any direct link to the question of the Azores. He explained that he was very anxious to avoid any public reference to such problems for the time being since it was a very difficult time in terms of the U.S. Senate. He would prefer to postpone any discussion until September, when he could meet with Foreign Minister Patricio in New York.

Foreign Minister Patricio agreed that there need be no link with the question of a base agreement. He suggested that perhaps the interim period could be used by the United States to study the availability of resources for U.S. assistance for Portuguese agriculture and education in order to prepare for the September meeting.

The Secretary said he understood that the Portuguese had a very extensive program in the field of education. Foreign Minister Patricio replied that the III Economic Development Plan provided for substantial investments in the field of education at all levels and in all sectors. The Portuguese Government wanted to increase the amount of the education budget and he supposed that this would be an important and useful point for possible cooperation with the United States.

  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL PORT–US. Confidential; Limdis. Drafted by Asencio; cleared in S and C on June 25. The meeting was held in the Foreign Ministry. The memorandum is labelled “Part III of III.” Parts I and II dealing with U.N. matters and Cambodia, respectively, are ibid. A summary telegraphic report on Rogers’s talks with Patricio and Caetano, telegram 1598 from Lisbon, June 1, is ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 701, Country Files—Europe, Portugal, Vol. I. In telegram 93912 to Lisbon, June 16, the Department of State reported that the Secretary and Rui Patricio had also discussed the sale of Boeing 707 aircraft to the Government of Portugal during a luncheon meeting: “The Secretary told Rui Patricio that we would have a problem with the African nations if we sold Boeing 707s to the Portuguese Air Force. The Secretary suggested that instead the sale be made to Portuguese commercial airline TAP and that TAP in turn could sell same number of used equipment to Air Force.” (Ibid.) At noon Rogers and Caetano discussed Portugese and U.S. policies in Africa. The memorandum of conversation is printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XXVIII, Southern Africa, Document 90.↩