SECRET d 68 JAN 30 PM 2 14 DEPARTMENT OF STATt JPYFLO- PBR Memorandum ol Conversation SUBJECT DATE January 23 1968 Time 6 30 pm Place Assistant Secretary's Office U S Air Force Routes PARTICIPANTS Ambassador Torben RPnne ELsy of Denmark Mr Per Fergo Minister-Counselor Embassy of Denmark Assistant Secretary John M Leddy EUR Deputy Assistant Secretary Walter J Stoessel Jr EUR Mr David H McKillop Country Director SCAN Mr Eugene Klebenov Country Desk Officer SCAN COPIES TO f j lV G PM D0D ISA 0SD EUR EUR SCAN 3 EUR RPM JAN1968 'l Amembassy Copenhagen I Mr Leddy said that the statements by Danish Government leaders on nuclear 7 storage and overflights had come as a surprise to us Ambassador Rinne said that Prime Minister Krag and Foreign Minister Tabor had merely re-stated Danish nuclear policy Mr Leddy said that we did not want to go any further into this question that we saw no utility in pursuing the matter Ambassador R nne said that Danish nuclear policy covers Greenland as the Krag and Tabor statements had pointed out Mr Leddy replied that we had not contradicted these statements but that we do not want to get into a public discussion on the matter of routes that we believe it would be most unwise to open such a discussion@ Therefore we could not add to the statement attachment B a reference to overflights Under the circumstances it would probably be just as well to have no statement at allo Ambassador R6nne said that Premier Krag would the following day be questioned on Danish nuclear policy The Ambassador added that Mr Leddy was familiar with Denmark's policy in this a rea Mr Leddy said that he fe lt the statement could create more problems than it solved but that he would accede to its release He added that we did not want to set off another round of routes discussion and that we could not go any further than the present statement Ambassador R6nne said that lack of further U S connnent could indicate that the U S does not accept Denmark's foreign policy on nuclear matters Mr Leddy said that it was simply that we do not connnent in a way that could lead people to speculate on a lert flight routes Ambassador R¢nne said that the lack of U S Government connnent left him in a very difficult situation Mr Leddy pointed out that the Danish Government had made its policy statements that we did not _J L FORM 3•61 DS-1254 _ __ S EGRET Group 1 automatic downgrading a nd · DECLASSIFIED Authority 11 b9 C1 i I r -2- ' challenge these statements but will not connnent further on this subjecto Ambassador Rpnne said that he was very unhappy with the situation and that he would be informing his Governmento Ambassador Rpnne said that he would call later in the evening and let us know if the Danish Government concurred in the two press statements Mr Leddy said that on receiving concurrence from the Danes we would notify the Department of Defense for an 8 00 am release January 270 0 LSince the Danish Government found the shorter statement attachment B inadequate the USG did not releast it 7 l Auilioricy 9bq f DEC LASS1FIED SECRET