Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XXIV, North Africa

48. Memorandum From Secretary of State Shultz to President Reagan¹

Washington, January 31, 1985

[Omitted here is material unrelated to North Africa.]

4. Tunisian Ambassador on Maghreb Summit. This morning Ambassador Ben Yahia outlined for Mike Armacost Tunisia’s hopes to host a Northern African Summit.² He stressed that while agreement to hold a summit had been reached in principle with each of the other Maghreb states (Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and Libya), no timeframe or specific agenda has yet been set. Discussions probably would center heavily on face-saving ways to settle the Western Sahara dispute and thus improve bilateral relations between Morocco and Algeria. Armacost pointed out our reservations over according Qadhafi any opportunity to enhance his “respectability” and reiterated our policy of not dealing with Qadhafi until he demonstrates a change of methods. Ben Yahia responded that Tunisia shares such reservations and will do all it can to keep Qadhafi from exploiting a summit. (C)

1. Source: Reagan Library, George Shultz Papers, President’s Evening Reading January–June 1985. Secret; Sensitive.
2. A record of the Armacost-Ben Yahia meeting is in telegram 32886 to Tunis, February 2. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D850074–0970)