Note from Argentine Ambassador García del Solar to the Argentine Foreign Ministry

SECRET

                       General reception number 4205/04

Origin: Washington

Date and time received:   D.T:  Day: 1    Month: January      Time: 2300

Date an time processed:  D.C.   Day: 1    Month:                    Time: 0850

Cable no. 137138

BRAZIL:

R

With reference forthcoming visit Secretary of State George Schultz (5/6 February) to Brazil, an officer of said department in charge of Brazilian affairs made following comments to this Embassy:

1. The importance of agreements reached by bilateral working (which will be reflected in respective reports), besides intrinsic importance of such understandings, rests on the fact that they constitute a remarkable progress in bilateral relations, for which the interest and will of the Presidents Figueiredo and Reagan have been decisive.
2. In particular (delete). Greatest progress was noticeable in the aspect of military cooperation – contrary to original expectations that were not optimistic regarding degree of Brazilian interest – while on space and scientific-technological issues (especially in the field of energy) a basis was set for the continuation of the examination of several programs between UN organs and another country. Regarding economic questions, he expressed that the conclusions of the respective working group will not have an impact since this matter is more pertinent to the multilateral field.
3. He underlined that the working group of industrial military cooperation made possible to rebuild and reinforce links between the respective armed forces and already facilitated – for instance – the exchange of military visits, mentioning that the Head of the Navy Chiefs of Staff of the United States would visit Brazil shortly.

However, he discarded that as a result of this positive evolution Brazil and the United States would arrive at strategic military agreements, indicating that neither the Brazilians wish to commit themselves in this field nor are the Americans interested in that. He said nothing is envisaged regarding United States cooperation for a naval base on Trindade Island, stating that this is an old speculation by the press (in previous conversations other State Department officers said they were not aware of the existence of that objective).

4. On nuclear matters, he estimated that the status of relations between the United States and Brazil is similar to its relation with Argentina. He added that there would be a relevant improvement in the relationship if both countries formally declared that they would not produce an explosive nuclear device and stressed that this would give them an important moral influence over the nuclear powers. He also considered that an agreement between Brazil and Argentina on some mechanism for mutual inspection of their nuclear facilities would be a positive measure to be well received by Brazil and the United States, without prejudice to Tlatelolco. He further emphasized that significant progress in the relations of the United States with Brazil and Argentina in the nuclear field could only go forward to the extent that national opinion in both countries did not attribute that development to alleged American pressure.
5. Regarding the above, an American expert consulted at this Embassy observed that the working groups might have operated more in line with American expectations if the attitude of the Brazilian diplomats were less directed to ensuring for Itamaraty the maximum possible control over the bilateral relationship to the detriment of the interests of Brazilian private and public economic as well as military sectors, under the perception that this would give Brazil a greater degree of independence vis-à-vis the United States. Nevertheless, that analyst considered that the new Brazilian Ambassador in this city, Sergio Correa da Costa, would facilitate the recovery of the trend toward greater closeness in the Brazilian-American relationship and confirmed that bilateral military channels are functioning actively.

GARCIA DEL SOLAR