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Malta
3.
Consultation will be required with US Government, NATO,
Maltese Government.
4. The Steering Group's Report (OPD (74)23) suggested that
the Military Facilities Agreement should not be renewed on
its expiry 31st March 1979), that if we withdrew our main
forces before then Mr Mintoff would make a major issue of
the matter, but that we might make some force reductions
between 1977 and 1979. At present we have no agreed
position on the size and rate at which these reductions
should be made.
5. Under Part 4 Section 2 of the Agreement we are obliged
to provide the Maltese Government annually on 1st April, fore-
casts for the following three years of the level of forces,
associated personnel and dependants to be stationed in Malta,
and expenditure by the British authorities in Malta. It.
also requires us to consult the Malta Government six months
before making any major changes in these forecasts except
when military necessity makes this impracticable. The forc
casts we provided on 1st April 1974 show a steady level of
UK forces etc up to 1st April 1977, the last date covered.
6.
If we seek to start reducing our forces significantly, as
a result of the Defence Review, before that date, we shall no
doubt provoke a strong protest from Mr Mintoff.
our rundown after 1st April 1977, and reflect
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2
If we start
this in our
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