Page 329 - Argentina - Carter, Regan, and Bush VP

No Objection To Declassification in Full 2012/12/12 : NLC-17-141-3-9-5

MEMORANDUM
9
THE WHITE HOUSE
CONFIDENTIAL WASHINGTON
June 10, 1980

MEMORANDUM FOR: ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI

Zbig,

I gather that Secretary Muskie will ask approval for Gerry
Smith's exploration with our allies of ways of meeting
their concerns regarding nuclear power at tomorrow's meet­
ing with you and Harold Brown. Gerry would then talk quietly
about this issue with our allies at an international energy
meeting he is attending at Vienna next week. (c)

Substantively, I believe that Gerry is on the right track:
This exploration will help to reduce bitterness between Europe
and the United StatBS about this issue, and eventually produce
policies that will strengthen non-proliferation. It is the
intent to conduct this exploration in low key, so that it will
not arouse political controversy in this country before the
election. (c)

Procedurally, you will recall that this issue was discussed
at a PRC, where all the agencies concerned (except the Council
on Environmental Quality) supported Gerry's proposal, and it
was agreed that his paper should be revised, prior to being
discussed at a Becond PRC. Secretary MuBkie then concluded
that it would be better to launch Gerry'b exploratory dis­
cussions without the bureaucratic formality inherent in a PRC,
in order to preserve our flexibility and avoid leaks. If you
now decide that a second PRC meeting is needed before we do
anything, it will be impossible for Gerry to undertake these
discussions at the Vienna International Atomic Energy Meeting
for which he is leaving Saturday, and a major opportunity will
have been lost to begin this exploration before the Venice
Summit and in the right multilateral forum. (C)

I recommend that you support Secretary Muskie's proposal to
allow Gerry Smith to begin these exploratory discussions next
week without fanfare in Vienna. (c) 1 l- 7 )«?/>/.
DECLASSIFIED E.Q.13526 /U ~ n - Data

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Authnritv

No Objection To Declassification in ;-ull 2012/12/12 : NLC-17-141-3-9-5