CONFIDENTIAL
FM WASHINGTON
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2656
CONFIDENTIAL
MWB caiz
OF 032147Z DECEMBER 92
INFO IMMEDIATE HM TREASURY
ch
pa
Oh MFN file
pls
131
131306
MDHIAN 0682
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS NEW YORK, PARIS, BONN, UKDEL NATO, HONG KONG INFO PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS, ACTOR
HM TREASURY FOR: SIR NIGEL WICKS
DISCUSSION WITH CLINTON'S FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER
SUMMARY
1.
WHEN I SAW BERGER, WHO CURRENTLY IS HEADING THE CLINTON FOREIGN AND NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY TEAM, I REGISTERED OUR CONCERNS ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES.
DETAIL
THE ALLIANCE
2. BERGER SAID THAT CLINTON WAS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO KEEPING SIGNIFICANT U.S. FORCES IN EUROPE, THOUGH AT LOWER LEVELS THAN BUSH HAD ENVISAGED. CONGRESS WOULD NOT HAVE AGREED TO THE BUSH LEVELS ANYWAY. I SAID THAT IT WAS VITAL THAT THE U.S. SHOULD MAINTAIN A REAL FORCE PRESENCE IN EUROPE AND NOT HOLLOW FORCES. BERGER SAID THAT THIS WAS COMMON GROUND. (GENERAL POWELL TOLD ME THAT CLINTON ALSO HAD EMPHASISED THIS TO HIM - SEE MY SEPARATE REPORT.)
3.
BERGER SAID THAT CLINTON WOULD BE MORE RELAXED ABOUT EUROPEAN DEFENCE MOVES, INCLUDING THE FRANCO-GERMAN CORPS. I SAID THAT WHAT MATTERED WAS THE PRECISE RELATIONSHIP OF THE CORPS TO NATO. THIS CURRENTLY WAS BEING NEGOTIATED WITH SACEUR. WHAT ALSO MATTERED WAS THAT CONGRESS SHOULD NOT GAIN THE IMPRESSION THAT SOME SORT OF EUROPEAN ARMY WAS COMING INTO EXISTENCE WHICH COULD DEFEND WESTERN EUROPE WITHOUT U.S. ASSISTANCE. BERGER AGREED.
GATT
4.
I EXPLAINED THE EFFORTS WE HAD MADE TO HELP ACHIEVE THE EC/U.S. AGREEMENT ON AGRICULTURE IN THE URUGUAY ROUND AND OILSEEDS. OTHERWISE THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION WOULD HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES INHERITING POTENTIALLY THE WORST TRADE CONFLICT SINCE THE 1930S. BERGER ACKNOWLEDGED THIS. HE ASKED IF AGREEMENT WOULD BE CONCLUDED
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