Office of the Historian

135. National Security Study Memorandum 2081

Washington, August 12, 1974.

TO

  • The Secretary of Defense
  • The Deputy Secretary of State
  • The Director of Central Intelligence

SUBJECT

  • Azores Base Agreement Negotiations

In response to NSSM 189, the NSC Under Secretaries Committee submitted a study on the US-Portuguese Azores base negotiations, under cover of the committee chairman’s memorandum of March 21, 1974.

[Typeset Page 470]

The President has requested that the response to NSSM 189 be revised and updated to take into account:

—the change of government in Portugal;

—the change in Portugal’s policy toward its African territories;

—the importance of the Azores facilities to the United States;

—Portugal’s request that the negotiations begin as soon as possible with a view to conclusion by October;

—Portugal’s request for Azores base compensation in the form of financial, economic and technical assistance, as well as Portugal’s desire for military assistance; and

—the importance of Portugal to NATO and the West.

The supplementary response to NSSM 189 should include a recommended U.S. negotiating position, together with a review of Congressional considerations having a bearing on the Azores negotiations. The Chairman, NSC Under Secretaries Committee, is requested to forward the supplementary response no later than August 30, 1974, for consideration by the President.

Henry A. Kissinger

  1. Summary: The President directed a revision of the study prepared in response to NSSM 189, Azores Base Agreement Negotiations.

    Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, National Security Decision Memoranda and National Security Study Memoranda, 1974–1977, Box 2, NSSM 208—Azores Base Agreement Negotiations. Secret. Copies were sent to the Chairman of the JCS and the Director of OMB. The study prepared in response to NSSM 189 is in National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–201, Study Memorandums, 1969–1974, NSSM–189. On August 2, Themido gave Hartman a letter from Soares to Kissinger requesting the resumption of the Azores negotiations. (Telegram 169643 to Lisbon, August 3; ibid., RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, 1974, [no film number]) On August 5, Themido told McCloskey “that Portuguese government now suffering financially and that principal reason for reactivation of negotiations would be financial compensation that Portugal hopes USG can provide.” (Telegram 170940 to Lisbon, August 6; ibid.)

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