CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
ANNEX D
to OPD(75)
THE DEFENCE REVIEW
CONSULTATIONS WITH ALLIES
Draft passage for inclusion in Chapter I of the
Statement on Defence Estimates, 1975
From early December detailed consultations have been
conducted with our NATO Allies in accordance with the procedures
laid down by the Alliance on such matters. After an extensive
political and military assessment of the Government's proposals
within NATO, the Alliance's views and suggestions have been conveyed
The Government has also carefully considered the
to us.
points made by our non-NATO Allies and partners in its consultations
with them since the 3rd December announcement before reaching final
decisions.
2. Our partners and associates outside NATO have noted our
proposals with some regrets but have in general accepted that they
are logical and in some degree inevitable. Detailed discussions
on the best way of effecting the withdrawals are in some cases still
proceeding, and we have been able to accept some minor adjustments
to the timetables we initially proposed in the interests of
minimising the transitional problems which our withdrawal will
create. Broadly however the effect of the consultations has been
to confirm the proposals announced on 3rd December.
3. Our NATO Allies have expressed sympathetic understanding of
our economic difficulties; but considerable disquiet at the scale
of our reductions in NATO and their effects on NATO's conventional
capability vis à vis the Warsaw Pact. But they have not suggested
that we should follow a different set of priorities within this
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CONFIDENTIAL