59. Telegram 4248 From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, October 27, 1973, 0455Z.1 2
TELEGRAM
Department of State
USUN 4248
R 270455Z OCT 73
FM USMISSION USUN NY
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0547
INFO AMEMBASSY
BANGKOK
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
AMEMBASSY SAIGON
USUN 4248
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: PFOR, PBOR UN
SUBJ: LOS: ACCEPTANCE OF DRV AS FACTOR IN LOBBYING AGAINST PRG
1. AS REPORTED SEPTEL, DRV INVITATION WAS NOT PUT TO FORMAL VOTE BUT WAS ADOPTED BY ACCLAMATION IN FIRST COMMITTEE OCTOBER 29. WE FOUND THAT OUR WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT DRV PARTICIPATION WAS VERY HELPFUL FACTOR IN OUR INTENSIVE LOBBYING DURING DAY AGAINST INVITATION TO PRG. THE DIFFERENCES IN OUR POSITIONS ON INVITATIONS TO THESE TWO ENTITIES APPARENTLY WAS APPEALING TO BROAD RANGE OF DELEGATIONS. UPPER VOLTA, FOR EXAMPLE, INDICATED IT WOULD RE-EXAMINE POSITION IN LIGHT OF OUR EXPLANATION OF LOGIC BEHIND DISTINCTION. GREEK DELEGATE SAW THIS AS MAJOR LOBBYING ARGUMENT FOR USE WITH CYPRUS. TURKISH DELEGATE, AFTER FINAL VOTE ON RESOLUTIONS, VOLUNTEERED THAT HE CONSIDERED OUR WILLINGNESS TO GO ALONG WITH DRV HAD HELPED VERY CONSIDERABLY TO DISCOURAGE OTHERS FROM PRESSING FORWARD ON PRG EFFORT IN 1ST COMMITTEE.
2. ALMOST ENTIRETY OF USUN DEVOTED THURSDAY EVENING AND FRIDAY IN MASSIVE LOBBYING EFFORT AGAINST THREATENED VOTE TO INCLUDE PRG IN THE LOS CONFERENCE. JAPANESE MISSION ALSO LOBBIED EXTENSIVELY. WE BELIEVE THESE EFFORTS PRINCIPALLY OCCASIONED CRITICAL YUGOSLAV-ALGERIAN DETERMINATION THAT THEY MIGHT RISK DEFEAT WERE THEY TO PRESS THE PRG QUESTION TO A VOTE. YUGOSLAV MFT ASST SECY JAZICH WAS QUITE FRANK IN TELLING DELOFF THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF EXTENT OF US LOBBYING. YUGOSLAV TOLD FRG THAT EVEN WERE THE PRG TO WIN, SOME OF THEIR GROUP WERE CONCERNED THAT UNDOUBTED NARROWNESS OF PRG MARGIN OF VICTORY WOULD COMPARE UNFAVORABLY TO OVERWHELMING VOTE IN FAVOR OF INVITING GUINEA-BISSAU TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONFERENCE.
3. IN INDICATING THEY WOULD NOT PRESS PRG ISSUE TO THE VOTE, ALGERIA AND YUGOSLAVIA EXPRESSLY STATED THEY RESERVE THEIR POSITION ON THIS ISSUE WHEN THE RESOLUTION IS TAKEN UP BY THE GA PLENARY. WE MUST PLAN ON THE POSSIBILITY OF THEIR DOING SO AND WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH SECRETARIAT TO DETERMINE TIMING OF PLENARY CONSIDERATION. SCALI
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential. Repeated to Bangkok, Tokyo, and Saigon.↩
- The U.S. delegation to the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea reported that by acceding to an invitation to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to participate, they succeeded in defeating initiatives to include the Provisional Revolutionary Government.↩