Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XIII, Conflict in the South Atlantic, 1981–1984

203. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Peru¹

Washington, May 2, 1982, 0904Z

118563. Subject: Peruvian Initiative. Ref: A) Lima 4506;² B) Lima 4507.³

1. Please pass following ASAP to President Belaunde from Secretary Haig:

2. Quote. Dear Mr President: I am most grateful for your message transmitted through Ambassador Ortiz earlier this morning. The text of the agreement which you presented to President Galtieri, I believe, should be modified in only one minor point, that being substitution of the word “deseos” in place of “puntos de vista” in paragraph five of the Spanish text which we consider at this point the only authoritative text. I agree that the actual composition of the contact group called for in the agreement is open to further discussion.

3. If the text is agreeable to President Galtieri and to the other members of the governing Junta, I will be pleased to present it to Foreign Secretary Pym with whom I will meet at 10 o’clock this morning.⁴

4. I look forward to word from you that such agreement has been obtained.⁵ With warm regards, Alexander Haig. End quote.

Haig

1. Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Cable File, Falkland File 05/02/1982. Secret; Sensitive; Flash; Nodis. Printed from a copy that was received in the White House Situation Room. Drafted by Sherman (S/S–O); cleared in L and in substance by Haig; approved by Enders. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, N820004–0036)
2. See footnote 2, Document 202.
3. See Document 202.
4. See Document 205.
5. In telegram 4510 from Lima, May 2, Ortiz reported that Belaúnde had telephoned at 10 a.m. (11 a.m. Washington time) to inform him that Costa Méndez had asked Belaúnde to convey that the Government of Argentina “in general” found the seven points of the Peruvian plan acceptable with “two changes on which the Argentines were very insistent.” The first was a textual change to paragraph 5. The revised formulation read: “The two Governments acknowledge the need to take into account the views concerning the interests of the Islanders in the final solution.” The second revision proposed the replacement of the United States with Canada as a member of the contact group, “because the United States was firmly on the side of the UK.” (Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Cable File, Falkland File 05/02/1982) Belaúnde later telephoned Galtieri to discuss the revisions and reported the outcome of the conversation to Ortiz. (Telegram 4511 from Lima, May 2; ibid.)