Office of the Historian

22. National Security Council Under Secretaries Committee Decision Memorandum 71 2

Washington, May 2, 1969

TO:

  • The Deputy Secretary of Defense
  • The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
  • The Director of Central Intelligence
  • The Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • The Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission
  • The Director, U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

SUBJECT:

  • Decisions on NPT Follow-Up
1.
Soviet-U.S. Simultaneous Signature of the Ratification Instruments and Possible Deposit.
a.
It was decided to await the President’s reaction to the Secretary’s memo on setting a date for the SALT talks. If the President does not wish to move on the date at this time, it was agreed that a formal approach should be made to the Soviets in an aide memoire as a follow-up to the Secretary’s conversation with Kuznetsov.
b.
If the President decides on an immediate move to set a date, it was agreed that the two issues might usefully be linked in an effort to achieve simultaneous signature of the instruments of ratification and announcement of the date for SALT talks.
2.
Japan.

Agreed to continue encouragement for Japanese membership on ENDC and that subsequently Japanese would probably ratify NPT.

3.
EURATOM/IAEA.
a.
State (IO, SCI & EUR) and AEC will review status of safeguards, discussions and prepare specific recommendations for coming talks with European Community Commissioner Haverkamp and EEC President Rey.
b.
This group will also suggest a line to be taken with Luns who is coming this month since the Dutch appear reluctant to allow EURATOM staff to prepare a negotiating position.
4.
India/Pakistan.

ACDA is to prepare a specific recommendation for the Secretary to press both India and Pakistan on NPT. This recommendation should stress for India the link between its position on the ENDC and ratification of the NPT.

5.
Argentina.

State (ARA) and ACDA should use our support for Argentine membership on the ENDC to encourage Argentina to ratify the NPT.

6.
Australia.

AGDA is to prepare a specific recommendation to the President to initiate discussion of the NPT with Gorton rather than waiting for the Australian argument to be presented.

7.
Dr. Kissinger agreed to propose a NSSM to study peaceful nuclear explosions and their handling in the context of the Test Ban Treaty
Elliot L. Richardson
Chairman
  1. Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 330–75–89, Atomic 388.3. Secret; Exdis.↩
  2. The memorandum listed the follow-up decisions on the NPT, including the issue of Soviet-U.S. simultaneous ratification and the status of other national positions on the NPT, which had been made at the NSC Under Secretaries Committee meeting on May 1.↩