- • DEPARTMENT OF STATE W a shington D C 20520 7126 SECRET MAY 91968 TO The THROUGH S S FROM EUR SUBJECT Aireement with the Government of Denmark on µclear 5verflight's ahaStorage i n Greenland ACTION MEJ 1OF ANDill ohn M Leddy#' ' DISCUSSION In your reply Tab C to the Danish note of February 26 Tab D you stated that the Ugi te Q tat _s G r - ot 'ii st§ P t' J gx_ ¾l__t _o_ ci i § µ s_$_ it h_ t hg__ Q _9-n _§____W m_gtte i L §_µ_p QJ_fil11 n t ing_ J h e _Ag_ i -e m n t ££ pri 2_ _ _ J- 1 c 9_t 1 9 §£9 M _ th e - tlens' of_ gE e d The Danish Ambassador has tentatively agreed that any such su pi emen t s hould Ea fe tfie form of a se_c r e t ex'cnangu E n g t s -- ffe' h as -'afso -ag reedt-h t--future nuclear overflights and storag_e in Greerilan-d·-sn ouid- o e sub cL to @ s ff _gfi 9 11 _9-e twie iL'9_i _j i 1 9 i r J w nts - The latter provision is in contrast to the Danish request stated 1 in their February 26 note for an unconditional ban on nuclear overflights and storage in Greenland On March 31 the Under Secretary authorized me to offer the Danish Ambassador a draft tertl -Tab B f or the consideration o fhis Gove rnment The Ambassacior ' on J April 1 read our draft and i£filg § the first - I 2aragra £h which makes nuclear overflights and storage ' sli15 ject to consul tat ion wo _- c - - _ ► •-- - - his L SECRET Group 1 Excluded from automatic downg rading and declass i ficati on ---- SECRET - 2 - Government He felt however that the Danish Foreign Minis t r y would object to the second paragraph in which we Qointed 9ut that t h ere may be conditions of extreme emergency un - 1 _ h _c2 nsul tat h2ri_ ith __r_gs ct to overfJ ig h t s w uld be dit f icuLt He suggested omitting the second p ragr ph since the situation it add resses aoes not need sper ling out in advance After further consultation with the Department of De£ e n se we are now prepared to off er tfie Da es - as a draft text t he f i rs t para fi ont y of our April 1 text C' 46 § accompanied by an oral notation on my par pointing that there Q o ula e a i equir em t_f p r__Q S ove rflights under conditions of @ _grave and sudden threat t liat did not allow time to obtain the agreement of the · Danish Government - out - ------- If you concur I plan to give a draft copy of our note to ffie Dan is li Amb assad or thi s weeK and t e'rrllim that we wi u cf _ b -paredtouse t at tex-r - 1n - a secret _fil g - o-f n2 t e s supplemen-ting ··1 he I95T Agre ement on the Def nse of Gre nland I woul 2 2 t time point § 2 0 S s b l e n e _ e d f O r _U s$ ove i _f I ign f§__wI tltou t consul tiotJ _ under the conditions described above O RECOMMENDATION That you approve the attached draft note Tab A 0 l _ - MAY 1 o1968 Approve Disapprove Concurrences G PM - Mr TrJ L- man L EUR - Mr Berla® Attachments Tab Tab Tab Tab A B C D - New Draft Note April ' 1 DJ ' $ f Note Reply to Danish 'No' e• ' Danish Note ' K ov mbw Ext 4207 5 7 68 EUR SCAN EKl - - ----jJECL A'NV i l M I J SECRET SECRET Draft Note to be Presented to Ambassador R¢'nne for Consideration by Government of Denmark The United States Government assures the Government of Denmark that notwithstanding the provisions of the 1951 Agreement on the Defense of Greenland it will not store nuclear weapons in Greenland or overfly Greenland with aircraft carrying nuclear weapons except as a result of a joint decision by our two Governments SECRET Qi Proposed Response to Conf i dentital Da ni sh Note of Fe b nrnry 2 - ' · Tha United States Government assurea the Governmant of Denmark that• not 'lifithatanding the provisions of tb 1951 Agreement on tha Defense of Greenland it wilL not atora nuclear weapons in Greenland or overfly Greenland ' with airaraft carrying nuclear weapona except u a reau l t of• joint decision 'by our o Governments It must be recogniz-ed hor 1evar th at in circumstance• of extreme emergency tho aituation m ay make advance consultatioQ with respect to overflight difficult The United States Government would nonethelatiut maktl •very effort to conaul t tha Government of Denmark iQ au cm circumatancaa Olurances Eur✓SC N - Mr McKillop El11VRPM • Mr Getz G t M • Mr Trippe L EUR • Be rlack £t1P✓SCAN EK1 ebenovimbil 3 5 68 • --- DECiA SSlFIED--p uthority N 8 b9 XX 1 1 _ 0 J-- WIAR 1 31968 I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your · I note No 93 USA 8 dated February 26 1968 in which you conveyed the request of your Government for the initiation -r of discussions with a view to reaching agreement between our two Governments on supplementing the Agreement of April 27 1951 concerning the Defense of Greenland The United States Government is of course prepared ' to join in the discussione you have proposed Accordingly0' the Department of State will convey its views to you as soon as possible Accept Excellency the renewed assurances of my highest consideration T orben r Jnne Embassy o Den rk Washington D t CONFIDENTIAL AIAR 1 l 1S68 AM _ February I 1968 Ret 4ence No 93 usA 8 1 Sir 1 With reference to our recent discussions regarding defense arrangements in Greenland I have the honor to inform you that the Danish Government has considered the lack of consistency between the declared Danish po1 1cy on nuclear weapons on he one hand and the agreement of April 27 1951 between our two governments concerning the defense of Greenland on the other 2e The Danish Government appreciates the assurances recently given by the United States Government that there are no nuclear weapons in Greenland and that no overf1ights with such weapons are taking place My Government has also noted with satisfaction the undertaking given by your Government that this situation will not be changed without prior consultation with the Danish Government 3 The declaration made by the Danish Government at the opening session of the Danish Par11ament on February 6 1968 included the following section 'rhe Honorable Dean Rusk I I It is the policy of the Government that no nuclear weapons should be found within Danish territoryo This policy is also valid for Greenland and for ·Greenland air space 4 On February 8 the Danish Parliament passed a resolution to the same effect and requesting the Government to get absolute guarantees that no nuclear weapons are stored in Greenland and that Greenland air space is kept free of such weapons so as to ensure that Danish nuclear policy is maintained 1n all parts of the realm I ·1 5 I am instructed to ask the u s Government that discussions be initiated with a view to reaching agreement as soon as possible between our two governments on supplementing the agreement of April 27 1951 oncerning the defense of Greenland to the effect that no nuclear weapons may under the agreement 'be stored in or introduc d into · Greenland including Greenlan4 air space Please accept Sir the renewed assurances of my highest_ consideration Torben R nn Ambassador of D I ' rk ii I I I