NSDD 155 United States-Soviet Economic and Commercial Relations

CHRON FILE N. DECLASSIFIEP 4/20/05 cent writter SECRET SYSTEM II Authority C11 NARA DATE 6/10/11 91354 THE WHITE HOUSE BY WASHINGTON SECRET January 4, 1985 NATIONAL SECURITY DECISION DIRECTIVE NUMBER 155 U.S. .-SOVIET - ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL RELATIONS (U) In May 1984, I approved the renewal for 10 years of the U. S.-USSR Long-Term Agreement for Economic, Industrial and Technical Cooperation. I also approved reinstating, under Article III of the agreement, periodic meetings of a bilateral economic working group of experts to exchange information and forecasts of basic economic, industrial and commercial trends. As the working group meetings on January 8-10, 1985 in Moscow will be the first meetings of their kind in six years, it is important to have a unified Administration position on what these meetings are designed to accomplish and the policy framework in which they are taking place. (C) I view the objectives of these working group meetings to be as follows: To review the status of overall U.S.-Soviet economic and commercial relations. To discuss present obstacles to our trade relations in an effort to identify areas in which mutually beneficial non-strategic trade could be expanded in conformity with present export control policies. To help determine if there are sufficient grounds for a meeting of the .S.-USSR Joint Commercial Commission. (S) I have received a report through the SIG-IEP on proposed U. S. positions on five issues likely to be raised by the Soviets. These issues are: the ban on Soviet furskins, a Cuban nickel certification arrangement, aeroflot landing rights, port access regulations, and the bilateral protocol tax treaty. (S) After reviewing this report, I have decided that the U.S. delegation to Moscow should: o Indicate to the Soviets a willingness to discuss options with the U.S. Congress to lift the furskins ban if the Soviets are prepared to improve business conditions and prospects for U.S. firms. Reiterate a recent Treasury offer to resolve the Cuban nickel certification issue. Indicate a U.S. willingness to begin discussion of civil aviation matters, but only after receiving a favorable Soviet response to U.S.-Japan proposals on North Pacific SECREE SECRET COPY / OF 15 maria