• REPRODUCED AT TiiE NATIONAL ARCHIVES DECLASSIFIED I Authority JJlij nus D J N v Date IYiCI lti 1 It dooumeot consists of or -LQ r-- PB s copies Seriert_ Number _f_ DE ' -i _ 'MENT OF STATE ·· · AsslSTANT SECRETARY SECREI' EUR Toa The Secretary 'lb rough The Under S 5A oy n cret C J Frant l lJR Subject Executive Branch Position on P J rther Negotiation of Pending Atanio Cooperation and Atanic Stockpile Agreements Kohl er Problem t Th Congressional hearings on the Agreement with Italy for Atomic Cooperation and the studies now being made in the Executive and Legislative Branches on deployment of United States nu clear weapons abroad make it essential to clarify immediately the position of the Executive Branch with f l p respect to the further prosecution of negotiations now under wa y- on the · agreements for atanic cooperation with Fl -anoe and Belgium and on the atanic '6°' stockpile agreements 'With Italy and the United Kingdc m It would also be ' u Ai desirable to deci whether to press ahead with interagency discussim an I an atomic information agreement with NATO as an organization to replace I the agreement concl ud ed in 1955 r 't'b Diacussim A Atanic Cooperation Agreements Standard atomic cooperation agreements similar to the one concluded with Italy and preViously concluded with Germany Greece Turkey and the Netherlands are now under negotiation with France and Belgium In the case of France negotiations were started in April 1960 with Belgium in December 196o The negotiations with France have produced no substantive differences between the French and oursel ves We are now awaiting French reaction to certain min changes we wish made in the French text of the draft agreement If as we expect the French reply favorably in the near future we will soon be in a position to seek authority for- the agreement to be initialled In the case of Bel gium e are waiting to recei the Belgian reaction to the US draft We believe that in the case of Belgian Agreement there will be no major difficulties and that it to will be ready for initial1ing in a short time ----- We think it is desirable to proceed with these negotiations al1 d liberate speed The two Agreements like similar agreements for I nai- l -0 oo i iation concluded with other NATO al lies are only permissive 1 WL R Presidential SECRET - i REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAi ARCHIVES DECLASSIFIED i Authority llli · qtJq z_ N _ iu Date- f 1 SECRET -2Presidentia1 determinations nm st be made before US atomic information may be passed to the recipient countries Jmplementation of these agreements can therefore be carried out as in the judgment of the Executive Branch circumstances warrant To suspend or deliberately dell f the negotiation of these two agreements would prove embarrassing in 011r relations with both coon tries We do not consider it desirable to sloo down the manentum which has developed in implementing the 1957 NATO Heads of Govermnent decision On the contrary we ought to be in a position to implement them as soon as it appears desirable to do so in the light of the studies on nuclear weapons deployment currently- under way in the Executive Branch and the Congress For more than two years the Department with Defense and AEO has been considering the negotiation of a new atomic information agreement with NATO A new agreement is needed to permit the transmission to NA TO of the information authorized by the 1958 amendments to the Atomic Energy Act Defense and Genera1 Norstad have both stated that there is a pressing military requirement for the early conclusion of this agreement A draft agreement has been prepared by Defense and approved by the Department We intend shortly to transmit it to AEO for their concurrence in its negotiation with NATO It woul d also be desirable in our view to press ahead with interagency action looking toward the opening of negotiations with NATO Negotiation of such an agreement which like those noted above is only permissive will be a protracted procedure at best Further del 83 in starting negotiations would not appear to be in the best interest of the United States B Stockpile Agreements Atanic stockpile agreements are now being negotiated with Italy and the United Kingdan The Italia n Agreement has been under negotiation since Jul y 1959 A major point of difficulty with the Ita1ians is the question of the payment of certain costs which und er similar agreements with other NATO countries have been assumed by the host nation these costs Itaiy insists that the US bear Since May 196o the US has been considering the Italian position on these costs In the near future we hope to be able to reply to the It aJisns We attach importance to this agreement since it will not only set the frameN erk for US nuclear support for Italian NATO forces but will also regu arize the present informal arrangements under which US nu clear weapons are deployed in Italy £or use by US forces We think that as soon as a State-Defense position can be worked out on the costs question and certain ancillary matters the US should reply to the Italian counter proposal of May 196o and that negotiations shou1d proceed In the case of the United Kingdom negotiation of an umbrella agreement was started in Jul y 196o • This agreement is designed to establish the basis t the President has delegated and AEC authority to proceed if they are in agreement · I r ' REPROD ED AT TIE NATIONAi ARCHIVES DECLASSIFIED Authority J J IJ · 4'¥l6 2_ Jq N ru Date- t 1 SECRET -3basis for US nuclear support of UK NATO forces wherever stationed as well as o£ NATO forces of third countries stationed in the UK The British have recently submitted a counter-draft to the US draft which is now under stud3' by the Department and Defense It will shortly be incumbent upon us to reply to the British There is a clear and urgent mil it ary requirement for this agreement in particular British Array- of the Rhine units over a rear ago received Honest Johns and the stockpile agreement is required to provide the basis for establishing stocks of US DUclear weapons in support of these units As in the case of the atomic cooperation agreements referred to aboveJ the stockpile agreements under negotiation are important to carry forward the 1957 Heads of Government decision In our op inion it wou1d be undesirable and indeed embarrassing to suspend these negotiations On the contrary we think we should conalude the agreements with Italy and the UK as pranptzy as possible without however pressing eitmr Gavermnent The implementation of these two stockpile agreemEll'lts might of course await the propitious time in the light of the various studies now under way in the Ex ecutive and Legislative Branches Recommendations 1 That the negotiations with France and Belgium on atCJllic cooperatie n agreements be carried forward by the US without deliberate delay 3 I' 1- 1 -----Disapprove -----Approve 2 that there be no conscious del a¥ in preparing a US position for negotiation of a new atomic information agreement with NATO to replace the 1955 agreement irR3ft 4 I' -----Disapprove _ _ _ _ __ Approve 3 that the atomic stockpile agreements under negotiation with Itacy and the United Kingdan be prosecuted without del lberate delay on the pa rt of the US 3 t3 ' Approve ____t 1'-' ______ Disapprove ------ 4 that if queried by the Joint Camnittee on Atomic Energy- at the hearings on the Italian atomic cooperation agreement about our plans for SECRET --- ----_r- pending or ' REPRODl'- ED AT llE NATIONAL ARCHIVES DECLI SSIFIED Authority -NIJ p· Z J 1 ·IU Date- 1 SECRET -4pending or future negotiations the Department spokesman reply to the Camnittee in the sense of the recommendations l tl n-ough 3 above adding that implementation of all five agreements herein discussedwouJ d o£ course be subject to the current studies now in progress in the Executive and Legislative Branches with respect to the deployment of US nuclear weapons abroad Disapprove Concurrences S AE - Mr Courtn I EURaRA AJ 'es bpw 2 27 61 SECRET ------- NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu Read related article The U S Nuclear Presence in Western Europe 1954-1962 Part II 2020-09-17