Office of the Historian

197. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in India1

Washington, September 10, 1980, 2348Z

241315. Exdis—For Charge in New Delhi. Subject: Tarapur—Instructions for Call to MEA.

1. (C–Entire text)

2. You should telephone MEA Secretary Eric Gonsalves and convey the following:

—We are disappointed but not discouraged by the close Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote September 10 to disapprove the pending Tarapur fuel shipments.2 We intend to work for a positive outcome in the full Senate. We remain hopeful that this can be attained.

—The exchange of correspondence between the Secretary and SFRC Chairman Church was read into the record by Senator Church [Page 504] at the September 10 session.3 Our continuing efforts in the full Senate will be on the basis of the position spelled out in the Secretary’s letter.

—We would hope that as we move forward to the completion of our legislatively-mandated procedures, the GOI will exercise patience and restraint.

3. We are conveying a similar message to the Indian Embassy here.4

Muskie
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D800432–0687. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis. Sent for information Immediate to Bombay. Drafted by Schaffer; cleared in S/S–O, OES, and by Coon, Atwood, and Smith; approved by Christopher.↩
  2. On September 11, the New York Times reported that “both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted to reject the projected sale of 38 tons of enriched uranium to India. The double defeat came despite intense lobbying by Secretary of State Edmund S. Muskie. He had contended that the sale was needed to maintain cordial relations with India and to retain some influence on India’s nuclear policy.” (Bernard Gwertzman, “Two Panels Vote to Overrule Carter and Bar Atomic Fuel Sale to India,” New York Times, September 11, 1980, p. A1)↩
  3. Telegram 240939 to Bombay and New Delhi, September 10, relayed the exchange of correspondence between Muskie and Church. According to the telegram, Church requested in a September 9 letter to Muskie assurances in writing that the administration would not authorize the second fuel shipment until Tarapur required it; that the administration would consult Congress before permitting the second fuel shipment to Tarapur; and that the administration would not permit the second shipment if India detonated a nuclear device. In a September 10 letter to Church, Muskie agreed to Church’s requests. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D800431–1177) The letters are printed in the Department of State Bulletin, November 1980, pp. 55–56.↩
  4. Not found.↩