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1553275
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October 17, 1975 - Ford, Kissinger, Ambassador Jack B. Kubisch (Greece)
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1553275
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document
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October 17, 1975 - Ford, Kissinger, Ambassador Jack B. Kubisch (Greece)
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Memoranda of Conversations (Nixon and Ford Administrations)
Ford Administration Memoranda of Conversations
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Greece
Cyprus
Turkey
North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (4/4/1949 - )
Arms transfers
Foreign aid
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1553275
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17
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1975-10-17
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10
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1975
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17
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1975-10-17
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10
year
1975
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File scanned from the National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Conversation
Collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
la
MEMORANDUM
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
SECRET/NODIS/XGDS
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION
PARTICIPANTS:
President Ford
Amb. Jack B. Kubisch, U.S. Ambassador
to Greece
Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State
and Assistant to the President
for National Security Affairs
Lt. General Brent Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant
to the President for National Security Affairs
DATE AND TIME:
Friday, October 17, 1975
10:25 - 10:47 a. m.
PLACE:
The Oval Office
The White House
The President: It is good to see you again. How are things in Greece?
Kubisch: Much better than a year ago. We have a good government now.
Karamanlis asked me to bring this letter. [He hands the President the
letter, Tab A.] It is warm and friendly, but you can see how touchy
and proud the Greeks are. He misunderstood one point about linking aid
with going back into NATO, We have straightened it out.
The President: How are we doing on the aid negotiations?
Kissinger: Okay. We have offered a $30 million development loan. He
wanted 100. We have now raised it to $65 million.
The President: Agriculture came in and asked for -- how much?
Scowcroft: $250 million in economic aid.
SEGRET/NODIS/XGDS
DECLASSIFIED
E.O. 12958, SEC. 3.5
NSC MEMO, 11/24/98, STATE DEPT. GUIDELINES State
BY
MARA. DATE 6/4/04
SEGRET/NODIS/XGDS
-2-
Kissinger: Our total now come S to $225.
Scowcroft: But that is not on the same basis.
Kissinger: True, There is no way we can give them that much.
They are really not entitled to economic aid.
[Discussion of aid budget submission].
The President: You know what a problem we had getting the embargo
lifted. Do you think the Greeks will negotiate?
Kubisch: By all means. They just want to get it out of the way. Cyprus
is 500 miles away and is solely an emotional problem. They want it out
of the way and will concede any reasonable terms. If there is no settle-
ment, the prospect of a war in the Aegean is high, and the Greeks can't
afford that.
The President: How about the refugees?
Kissinger: Solving the territorial issue will solve most of that. The
big problem will be Makarios and the weak central government. The
best would be to get Makarios to sign it.
Kubisch: That is right. Unless Makarios blesses it, the Greeks won't
accept it. Karamanlis thinks if we can do something within 60 days
or so, he has enough leverage to force him to agree.
The President: Give the Prime Minister my best wishes.
Kubisch: If Cyprus is settled and the bilateral things get settled, it
would be good to cap it with a Karamanlis visit here.
The President: It would be good politics here also. Maybe next summer.
Kissinger: All it takes is good will. There is little to settle.
SEGRET/NODIS/XGDS
Gen Scowcroft
Athens October 8, 1975
6992
1b
Dear Mr President,
Thank you ever so much for your message
of 3rd October 1975.
I very carefully read your views on the
course that would best serve our efforts to solve the problem
of Cyprus and I noted especially your assurance that you shall
soon undertake a major effort to break the deadlock in the
negotiations and to try to persuade the Turkish government
to show understanding and flexibility in particular on the issue
of territorial arrangements. This is indeed the key to the
whole problem.
I would like to hope that, this time, your
intervention in Ankara shall prove effective since the reason
that, as you explained to me in Helsinki, was impairing the
efficacy of your action on Cyprus has nów been set aside.
If the Turkish government should once again fail to respond,
we shall be heading towards a further deterioration of the
situation, which we have a common duty to prevent.
His Excellency
DECLASSIFIED
Gerald Ford,
State E.O. Dept. 12958, Guidelines Sec. 3.5 the Deview 3/11/04
President of the United States,
By
bh
, NARA, Date 6/4/01
Washington D.C.
- 2 -
Turning now to the question of economic
and military assistance to my country, I shall not try to
conceal, Mr President, my surprise at your linking it to
the return of Greece to the military organization of the North
Atlantic Treaty and to our negotiations on American bases in
Greece.
You are well aware from my letter of 28th
August 1974, of the very serious reasons which compelled
me to take the decision of our leaving the military branch of
NATO. Nothing, absolutely nothing, has happened since then
to justify a reappraisal of the Greek position. The tragedy of
Cyprus is still with us, while Turkey advances inadmissible
claims on the Aegean. The concern shown by our Allies in NATO
for these questions of vital importance to us was up to now if
not marginal at least totally ineffective.
I would like to add, however, that with
regard to both NATO and the negotiations on American bases,
my government has acted and still acts cautiously and responsibly,
on the basis of the criterion of our national interest.
As is known, Greece does not withdraw from
the Atlantic Alliance. She only seeks a reajustment - imposed
by circumstances - of her position within the military branch
of NATO. Morcover, as I stated in the Greck Parliament,
Greece belongs and wishes to belong to the West.
Therefore, you will understand that I cannot
accept that these questions be connected with the economic and
/
- 3 -
military assistance that you intend to approve for Greece.
Greek - American relations are going through a very delicate
phase and it is precisely because I believe in the necessity
of the links between our two countries, that I think that instead
of giving Greek public opinion further cause of resentment we
ought to work rather towards restoring its former warm
feelings for the United States. You have at your disposal both
the means and the ways of contributing decisively to this goal,
and I would like you to rest assured that as far as I am
concerned everything possible has been and shall be done in
this respect.
You are not unaware, Mr President, of the
fact that this country faces great and very acute problems
emerging as it does from a seven-year dictatorship and from
the nightmare of the Cyprus tragedy. To cope with them, it
needs the understanding and assistance of all those who have
a stake in the stabilization of its democratic institutions,
only recently restored.
In this sense, Mr President, I would like
to thank you warmly for the interest that you express in your
letter towards my country an interest which corresponds to
the traditional friendship between our two peoples who have
fought together twice in defense of our common ideals.
With warmest regards,
Constantine Karamanlis
ME on and
Department of State
UNITED AMERICA
TELEGRAM
CATEF
STATES or
CONF IDENTIAL 1548
PAGE 01 STATE 236856
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= a N D E N T I A STATE 236856
EXDIS
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: GR. PFOR
SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE TO GREEK PRIME MINISTER
1. PLEASE CONVEY FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO PRIME MINISTER
CARAMANLIS FROM THE PRESIDENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
2. BEGIN TEXT: DEAR MR. PRIME MINISTER: IT WAS A GREAT
PERSONAL PLEASURE FOR ME TO SEE AND TALK WITH YOU IN HEL-
SINKI, AND I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE EFFORTS THAT YOU HAVE MADE
SINCE THEN TO KEEP US INFORMED OF YOUR VIEWS ON MATTERS OF
MUTUAL CONCERN. AMBASSADOR KUBISCH HAS REPORTED FULLY HIS
RECENT CONVERSATION WITH YOU, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT
I SHARE COMPLETELY YOUR BELIEF ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTING
DECLASSIFIED
NOW TO RESOLVE THE CYPRUS PROBLEM.
E.O. 12958, Sec. 3.5
State Dept. Guidelines StatePeriens3/11/04
NARA, Date 6/4/04
3. YOU AND I HAVE DIFFERED ON THE WISDOM OF THE CONGRES-
SIONAL EMBARGO ON US ARMS TO TURKEY, BUT WE HAVE BOTH BEEN
CONF IDENTI
NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
:
exate
OFFINIT
2)
Department of State
TELEGRAM
STATES
of
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 STATE 236856
STRIVING TO ACHIEVE THE SAME GOAL, NAMELY A JUST AND
LASTING SETTLEMENT OF THE CYPRUS PROBLEM. IT IS MY CON-
VICTION THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL BE IN A BETTER POSITION
TO INFLUENCE THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT ON CYPRUS NOW THAT
THE EMBARGO HAS BEEN PARTIALLY LIFTED, AND I CAN ASSURE
YOU THAT WE SHALL SHORTLY BEGIN A MAJOR EFFORT TO TRY TO
BREAK THE CURRENT IMPASSE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS.
4. IN THIS ENDEAVOR, WE WILL BE GUIDED BY THE PRINCIPLES
THAT SECRETARY KISSINGER ENUNCIATED IN HIS SEPTEMBER 22
ADDRESS TO THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY, INCLUDING THE
PRINCIPLES THAT THE PRESENT DIVIDING LINES CANNOT BE
PERMANENT. SINCE THE TERRITORIAL ARRANGEMENTS ON ThE
ISLAND ARE A KEY ISSUE IN ANY SETTLEMENT, WE SHALL SEEK
SPECIFICALLY TO PERSUADE THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT TO SHOW
UNDERSTANDING AND FLEXIBILITY ON THIS QUESTION.
5. IT WOULD BE OUR HOPE THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIFIC
PROPOSALS ON TERRITORY BY TURKEY WILL PROVIDE A BASIS FOR
AN EARLY RESUMPTION OF THE INTERCOMMUNAL TALKS BETWEEN
MR. CLERIDES AND MR. DENKTASH AND THAT THESE TALKS, ONCE
RESTARTED, CAN PROCEED TO ADDRESS ALL THE OUTSTANDING ISSUE
IN A SYSTEMATIC AND SUSTAINED MANNER. THE NEGOTIATIONS
WILL NOT BE EASY, BUT YOU CAN BE SURE THAT THE UNITED
STATES IS READY TO ASSIST THE PARTIES IN EVERY WAY POSSI-
BLE TO ACHIEVE PROGRESS. LET ME ALSO ASSURE YOU THAT
WE ARE WILLING TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO FACILITATE A
RESOLUTION OF THE GREEK-TURKISH PROBLEMS OVER THE AEGEAN
AND THAT I FIRMLY BELIEVE THESE PROBLEMS MUST BE SOLVED
THROUGH PEACEFUL MEANS.
6. WE ALSO WISH TO MEET, AS QUICKLY AND SYMPATHETICALLY
AS POSSIBLE, GREECE'S REQUEST FOR ECONOMIC AND MILITARY
ASSURANCE. IT IS IN OUR COMMON INTEREST THAT OUR LONG-
STANDING ALLIANCE RELATIONSHIP BE RESTORED AND STRENGTHEN-
ED. IN THIS CONNECTION, LET ME EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE
TO BOTH OF OUR GOVERNMENTS AS WELL AS TO OUR MUTUAL ALLIES,
OF A RESUMPTION BY GREECE OF A FULL ROLE IN NATO. AT THE
SAME TIME, I HOPE THAT YOUR GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO
SHOW APPRECIATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF us MILITARY FACILI-
TIES, WHOSE PRESENCE IN GREECE, I BELIEVE, SERVES THE SECU-
CONFIDENTIAL
OT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Department of Stare
/ UNITED AMERICA
TELEGRAM
of
CONF IDENTIAL
PAGE 03 STATE 236856
RITY INTERESTS OF BOTH COUNTRIES AND OF THE NATO ALLIANCE
AS A WHOLE. I THINK IT IMPORTANT THAT WE REACH AN EARLY
AGREEMENT ON THE SIZE AND SCOPE OF OUR MILITARY ASSIS-
TANCE PROGRAM.
7. FINALLY, LET ME NOTE THAT OUR CRITICS- WILL INEVITABLY
PORTRAY THE CONGRESSIONAL ACTION TO LIFT THE EMBARGO AS
CONDONING THE TURKISH MILITARY ACTION ON CYPRUS LAST
YEARs I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE 00 NOT CONDONE THE
TURKISH ACTION, NOR DO WE CONDONE THE LACK OF PROGRESS
TOWARDS A CYPRUS SETTLEMENT OVER THE PAST YEAR. AS I
HAVE EMPHASIZED, THE LIFTING OF THE EMBARGO WILL ENABLE
THE UNITED STATES TO PLAY A POSITIVE ROLE IN TRYING TO
ACHIEVE A FAIR AND LASTING SETTLEMENT OF THE CYPRUS
PROBLEM, AND I HOPE THAT THE PEOPLE OF GREECE WILL COME
TO VIEW THIS WEEK'S CONGRESSIONAL ACTION IN THAT LIGHT.
SINCERELY, GERALD R. FORD. END TEXT. KISSINGER
G-OXM
CONFIDENTIAL
NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
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