Office of the Historian

186. Letter From the Deputy Secretary of State (Christopher) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Duncan)1

Washington, July 11, 1978
Dear Charles:

Your letter of July 72 was a valuable catalyst in enabling us to reach agreed language for Section 102(b) of the Panama Canal Treaty Implementing Legislation.3 As you know, I have given the new text to Mr. McIntyre as our joint proposal for his use in moving the draft legislation along.

We look forward to working with your Department in the spirit of the understanding we reached in our recent discussions. As I said on the telephone last Friday,4 I welcome your suggestion that our staffs draft an Interagency Memorandum of Understanding on the procedures to be used for coordinating Treaty issues within the framework of the Panama Canal Review Committee.5 With such a Memoran [Page 456] dum as a guide, I am certain that United States Government officials in Panama will be able to work together smoothly to attain the objectives set forth in the Treaties and the proposed legislation. Our people will be in touch with yours very promptly.

With regards.

Sincerely,

Warren Christopher6
  1. Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files, FRC: 330–81–0202, Panama 1978. No classification marking.↩
  2. The letter from Duncan to Christopher is in the National Archives, RG 59, Office of the Deputy Secretary, Records of Warren Christopher, 1977–1980, Lot 81D113, Box 6, 1978, 3 of 3. Duncan wrote: “It seems to me that both State and Defense are in agreement that the Ambassador should be fully involved in the implementation process, but that he should not be involved in the operation, management, or maintenance of the Panama Canal.”↩
  3. Section 102 (b) addressed the authority of the Ambassador and the supervision of the Administrator of the Panama Canal Commission.↩
  4. July 7.↩
  5. See Document 201.↩
  6. Christopher signed “Warren” above his typed signature.↩