209. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State1

12732. Subject: Greek Reintegration. Ref: A) Ewing McCloskey Telcon, Oct 17, 19802 B) State 277510.3

1. (Secret-entire text)

2. Foreign Minister Mitsotakis informed me last night (October 17) that Greece and Turkey had agreed on a formula for the reintegration of Greece into the military structure of NATO.

3. Mitsotakis took me aside immediately after arriving at the Residence for a dinner in his honor to tell me the following:

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—Hellenic Chief of Staff General Gratsios conveyed the GOG response to SACEUR’s last proposed arrangement to General Rogers in a meeting at Naples the previous day. Rogers then went to Ankara where he obtained final acceptance from the GOT. That word was telephoned to Gratsios in Athens yesterday.

—Karamanlis, Rallis, Averoff and he had given their personal endorsements to the Rogers formula. Other Ministers of the “inner” Cabinet would be informed of the decision today (October 18) and the Cabinet at-large possibly tomorrow. He was unclear about when and how Parliament would be informed.

—The GOG together with the others most directly involved are working toward a DPC meeting at the earliest possible time next week in Brussels. To this end, Mitsotakis has already sent an MFA official to Brussels to assist with preparations. Mitsotakis expects a public announcement of all this Monday, October 20. He was unclear as to the means or venue for disclosure and to what degree it will be coordinated with others. He did stress risk that things could come undone as a result of any leakage and urged that what he told me be kept secret.

—In connection with ref B, which just arrived, Mitsotakis had said that the FRG Ambassador in Athens had a day earlier relayed Foreign Minister Genscher’s offer to be helpful in “greasing the skids” at Brussels. Mitsotakis said he expressed appreciation but refrained from asking for anything at that time.4

McCloskey
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Office of the Under Secretary for Security Assistance, Portions of 1980 Security Assistance Subject and Country Files, Lot 82D197, Box 4, Greece Vol. II (S.A. 1980) 7–1–80 Thru. Secret; Niact Immediate; Nodis; Stadis.
  2. The memorandum of telephone conversation was not found.
  3. In telegram 277510 to USNATO, October 18, the Department reported that Rogers asked the German Permanent Representative to NATO to support his efforts to complete Greek reintegration into NATO on the grounds that the final differences between Greece and Turkey were near resolution. On the same day, the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey received letters from German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher urging the “earliest possible resolution of Greek reintegration.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P910097–0029)
  4. The NATO Defense Planning Committee agreed on October 20 to reintegrate Greek military forces into the NATO military command structure. The same day, Carter sent similar messages to Rallis, Evren, Rogers, and Luns, expressing his delight and offering his congratulations on the decision to reintegrate Greece into NATO. The messages are in the Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 26, Greece: 5/80–1/81. Rallis replied on October 25 that he was “looking forward to cooperating with the United States in all military organs and activities of the alliance to that effect.” Rallis also expressed confidence that the spirit of Greek reintegration “will prevail in the course of our forthcoming negotiations on the new Greek-U.S. agreement.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, President’s Correspondence with Foreign Leaders File, Box 7, Greece: Prime Minister George Rallis, 9–11/80) On November 17, Brzezinski wrote in a memorandum to Henze and Blackwill, “The President wants to push hard to conclude a defense cooperation agreement with Greece before the end of 1980.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 26, Greece: 5/80–1/81)