257. Letter From President Carter to British Prime Minister Thatcher1
Thank you for your message on Zimbabwe.2 I appreciate your thoughts on the role Western nations can play in building on the achievements of Lancaster House.
[Page 739]Now that we are so close to the fulfillment of our common objectives in Zimbabwe, I agree that we should act quickly and visibly to honor our general commitment to assist in the agricultural and economic development of Zimbabwe.
Various obstacles have prevented us from giving as much assistance to southern Africa as we would like to give. Nevertheless, we have taken a number of steps that we hope will help to meet Zimbabwe’s immediate needs without weakening our continuing assistance to other nations in the region.
In January we pledged $5 million to the UN High Commission for Refugees to assist in the refugee repatriation effort. We have now identified an additional $15 million to assist in rural rehabilitation and for reconstruction and/or resettlement within Zimbabwe. We will therefore have committed $20 million to Zimbabwe from appropriations for this fiscal year, which ends September 30, 1980. For Fiscal Year 1981, my government expects, with Congressional approval, to extend additional economic support to Zimbabwe at the level of $25 to $30 million.
It is my intention to ask my representative to the Zimbabwe Independence ceremony to discuss this program with the new government during his stay in Salisbury next month.
In the days ahead, we will stay in close touch with your government on these most important matters.
Sincerely,
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 89, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia): 1/80–1/81. No classification marking.↩
- See footnote 2, Document 256.↩