Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, the Ambassador of Portugal, and the Foreign Minister of Portugal

S 004390 DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E) DEPARTMENT OF STATE Dept. of State letter, 17-3.333 656 By NLT. HC , NARS Date 7.23.76 Memorandum of Conversation 260 DATE: September 16, 1949 1 SUBJECT: PORTUGAL - Foreign Minister's visit ARCHIVES AND **NATIONAL RECORDS E SERVICET PARTICIPANTS: The Secretary The Portuguese Foreign Minister, Dr. Caeiro da Matta The Portuguese Ambassador Pedro Theotonio Pereira Mr. William B. Dunham, SWE COPIES TO: The Secretary FE - Mr. Butterworth G - Mr. Rusk CA - Mr. Freeman EUR - Mr. Perkins EUR - Mr. Achilles Embassy Lisbon. WE - Mr. MacArthur WE - Mr. Galloway EUR - Mr. Martin 1-9493 After a brief preliminary conv ersation the Portuguese Foreign Minister stated that, in with the opening meeting of the Council tomorrow, there was one unresolved point on which he would make avery short statement. The Portuguese Government had suggested that the Standing Group should be composed not only of the US, UK and France but also should have two additional members chosen annually on an alphabetical basis from among the other signatories of the Treaty. In response to my question, he said that he wished only to make a statement of principal to make the Portuguese Government's views on this point known but he did not intend to make a motion of his Government S position nor to raise an objection to the existing arrangement. I said I thought that should be all right. After the meeting, both the Foreign Minister and the Ambassador confirmed to Mr. Dunham that they will not make an issue of this point at the Council meeting. The Foreign Minister also mentioned his Government's concern over the arrangements for membership in the North Atlantic Ocean Regional Planning Group. His Government preferred the original plan offered to have this body composed of only four members. Mr. Dunham pointed out that Portugal is to be a full member of this Group and that the subsequent establishment of subdivisions along functional lines, which it is expected this body will undertake, would in no way detract from Portugal' S participation as a full member. Although the Portuguese do not object to the existing arrangement they are concerned that it may interfere with or even supersede the bilateral relationship which they have favored between Portugal and the US and Portugal and the UK. I pointed out our belief that there would be problems in connection with the southern section of the Atlantic area, covered by the Treaty, which would require close cooperation