NATO CONSULTATION
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Form of Consultation.
The following points were agreed
Bilateral consultation with the United States and FRG was necessary and should take place in advance of the nain NATO consultation.
b.
These bilateral talks should remain confidential from the rest of NATO. Talks with the United States would have to cover the whole field of the Defence Review; those with the FRG would cover the NATO particularly Central Region - uspeots.
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and
C. To ensure confidentiality the bilateral talks with the United States should be conducted at senior official level, preceded by a personal message from the Prime Minister to the President. Dr Kissinger and Mr Schlesinger should be involved in the process of consultation. not plan on Ministerial involvement in the bilateral discussions.
2.
d. The talks with the FRG should also be at official level but in addition the Defence Secretary night wish to consult Herr Lebes.
Wo should
Timing. It was agreed that the following factors bore on tho queation of the timetable for consultation, etc
a. OPD would next meet on 22 or 23 October. It was unlikely that Cabinet would take decisions before about 5 November. (The Defence Secretary would bo in Rome on 7 November).
b.
Tine must be allowed before the NATO presentation for reconsideration of substantive points arising from the bilateral consultations.
c.
Presentation of our proposals to NATO must take place before the
NATO Ministerial nootings in the wook beginning 9 December.
d. To avoid any suspicion in the rest of NATO that bilateral consultations
wero taking place any Parliamentary statement should be delayed until
shortly before the actual presentation of our proposals.
e.
A clear period of 2 'working' months must be allowed for NATO consideration and discussion. This meant that the original target for announcing decisions by the end of 1974 could not be met.
SECRET
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