Office of the Historian

92. Telegram 206092 From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Posts, August 19, 1976, 0130Z.1 2

August 19, 1976, 0130Z

TELEGRAM
Department of State
206092

R 190130Z AUG 76

FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMCONSUL MONTREAL
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY VIENNA
USMISSION GENEVA
USMISSION IAEA VIENNA
INFO AMCONSUL HONG KONG
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
AMEMBASSY BANGKOK

STATE 206092

PARIS FOR NESCO; ROME FOR FODAG; VIENNA FOR UNIDO
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: PFOR, VN, UN

SUBJECT: PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM IN UN SPECIALIZED AGENCIES AND IAEA

REF: VIENNA 6303 (NOTAL)

1. RECENTLY WE HAVE NOTED SEVERAL CASES INVOLVING NOTIFICATION BY THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (SRV) THAT IT IS TAKING OVER THE SEAT FORMERLY HELD BY THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (GVN) IN VARIOUS UN BODIES. WE HAVE ALSO NOTED THAT IN SOME INSTANCES OFFICIALS OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TENDED TO ACT ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE SRV HAS INDEED SUCCEEDED TO THE GVN SEAT AND TO BASE INVITATIONS TO CONFERENCE ON THAT ASSUMPTION.

2. IF QUESTIONED ABOUT OUR POSITION YOU SHOULD, WITHOUT GOING INTO THE MERITS OF THE QUESTION, STATE THAT WE BELIEVE THESE MATTERS SHOULD PROPERLY BE THE PREROGATIVE OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCES OF THE RESPECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS OR OF OTHER CONSTITUTIONALLY ESTABLISHED METHODS FOR DEALING WITH SUCH QUESTIONS AND NOT OF SUBSIDIARY CONFERENCES OR OF INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIATS ALONE. PENDING FURTHER GUIDANCE YOU SHOULD LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THE ABOVE. KISSINGER

  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential. Drafted by Miller and McNutt; cleared by Lewis, Martens (in draft), Stowe, Hummel, and in S/S; and approved by Habib. Sent to London, Montreal, Paris for the Representative to UNESCO, Vienna for the Representative to UNIDO, the Mission to the U.N. in Geneva, and the Mission to the IAEA in Vienna. Repeated to Hong Kong, Tokyo, USUN, Bangkok, and Rome for FODAG.↩
  2. The Department informed selected posts that attempts by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to gain representation previously held by the Republic of Vietnam in international organizations should be decided by the constitutionally established procedures for each organization. ↩