No C fLI Phg met U siu Authorlwm%00 ot copies Series 70 UNITED STATES ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT AGENCY - - RWDreXler jai 4 17 67 Memorandum of Conversation Approved in DATE April 12 1967 suamrT HenuProliferation'Treaty PARTICIPANTS H E Arne Gunneng Ambassador of Kjeld Vibe Counselor Embassy of orway William Ca Foster Director ACDA Robert W Drexler av COPIES TO ACDA 1 5 CIA Dr GPM GER Amembassy OSLO Sis 3 USMission GENEVA DISDEL 3 INR 8 White House-Mr Keeny USUN NEW YORK 10 Mr Barber sac Mr Labowitz 4 Ambassador Gunneng began by asking for an assessment of the present NPT negotiating situation Mr Foster replied that we were -in need of assistance he went on to say that the position of the Norwegian Government regarding the NPT had been forthright and that the statements made by the Nerwegian representative at the April 4 NAG meeting had been very helpful Mr Foster described the developments leading to the April 12 NAG session and said he judged from a preliminary telephonic report that the meeting had advanced matters somewhat the Germans had been rather quiet though the Italian representatives had continued their previous activity _ 11 Am Mr Foster outlined the nature of thecurrent NPT talks with German representatives in Washington and expressed the hOpe that they will be genuinely exploratOry in nature and facilitate our going ahead with the tabling of the treaty at the ENDC Mr Foster said he trusted that the Nerwegian Government would join in helping get the treaty on the road when this is considered at the April l9th NAC meeting 9'13 w I If swig Mr Foster reviewed for Ambassador Gunneng the principal concerns expressed by the visiting German officials with regard 51' Excluded from automatic downgrading and declassification 2-62 6% W ra GPO 9255 35-1 hM-iy Ds'CLAs'Sjil x Autho ty le hg OO wao gg 2 - to the NPT and explained our position on these issues Referring in this connection to the problem of Article Mr Foster emphasized the importance we attach to the principle of full international objective safeguards He pointed out that if this principle is weakened through the treaty negotiations the Soviets will thereby be able to argue more strongly against verification and inapection requirements for other arms control measures Referring to FRG concerns that the three-year transi- tion period stipulated in the revised Article will give the IAEA excessive leverage in negotiations with EURATOM Mr Foster stressed that the West has an important presence and influence and that it was therefore hard for us to understand why an agreement between the two organizations could not be reached within that period Hr Foster told AmbassadOr Gunneng that he recognized that because of the coalition-type government in Bonn there were strains and complications in the decision making processes on the NPT question He observed however that the difficulties the FRG was encountering in this regard were in contrast to the fact that Germany is the only country to have renounced in a 'treaty its right to manufacture nuclear weapons Mr Foster added that the EEG in view of its past history would pay a high price internationally if the NPT undertaking failed because of its attitude Emphasizing the need to carry the negotiations forward expeditiously Hr Foster warned that if advances are not scored at the coming ENDC session the issue would be taken to the General Assembly where it would be impossible for the west to control the debate In reaponse to questions from Ambassador Gunneng Mr Foster reviewed how we had addressed Italian and German concerns about the treaty's effect on the process of European unification In this-connection Mr Foster alluded to the fact that the NPT would not place any limitations on a European jointly-owned force of delivery vehicles provided the nuclear warheads remained under U S control Ambassador Gunneng asked whether the Germans appeared now to regret their earlier decision to renounce the manufacture o of nuclear weaponss Hr FoSter replied that their attitude in the current negotiations raises such a question but that he wasn't certain of the answer He said he gave them full credit for sincerity but that they were nonetheless difficult to convince Mr Foster added that the basic problem to be faced is how one limits nuclear proliferation By definition one is left with little flexibility in addressing this problem and he said it is hard for some to face this fact Ambassador Gunneng inquired whether the Italians were easier to convince on_this point _Mr Foster commented that they too had been very hflexible so far Nenni-supported the treaty but again there was the complication of a coalition government Moro and Fanfani remained difficult to convince Returning to the German position Ambassador Gunneng_asked if Strauss was looming in the background Mr Foster replied that he is one of several FRG leaders who remain unconvinced about the NPT In view of distorted and misinformed articles I which have appeared in the German press Mr Foster added it was possible that the real issues regarding the NPT had not been made clear to the German people He said that -therefore one of our reasons for wanting to have the treaty tabled as quickly as possible was to make it a public document and thereby allay misapprehensions that had arisen about it Ambassador Gunneng commented that if the two former Axis partnerS-become responsible for blocking progress toward the NPT it would cost the two a great deal internationally The Norwegian Government he said would consider this a very serious development The Ambassador asked whether other US allies had more or less agreed to the NPT Mr Foster said that the EURATOM countries feel a certain obligation not to destroy the progress which has already been made toward European unification He stressed that the US has always supported the unification move ment and has no intention to do it damage He observed however - that the Europeans must recognize that there must at times be adjustments in forms SECRET SESHH In reaponse to Ambassador Gunnene s reference to other arms control undertakings involving ABMs for example Mg Foster stated that progress regarding the NPT will contribute to advances in other related arms control fields even though we Cannot guarantee what or when the next steps in this direction may be If the NPT negotiations fail however prospects for additional measures would worsen and the arms race might become more intense SECRET                     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