320. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Portugal 1
321. Ref: ICAO African Regional Conference. Counselor Portuguese Embassy urgently called Dept November 29 on instructions GOP seeking strong and active USG support Portugal at ICAO regional conference Rome. Said conference action creates air safety hazard.2
He was informed of USG actions against adoption of resolution and our assessment that while action unfortunate, info might still be inserted into regional plan by Air Navigation Commission and Council./3/ Also informed argumentation US delegation instructed use (Deptel 1337)./4/
2 On November 27 the delegate from Tunisia introduced a resolution excluding both South Africa and Portugal: “Delegations of independent states of Africa request adjournment, sine die, of discussion on route segments between Portugal, African Portuguese territories, and South Africa, and in meantime request Secretariat to prepare a new table of aircraft operations on this basis.” (Telegram 1468 from Rome, November 27; ibid.) Discussion of the resolution was postponed until November 30 by which time an apparent compromise kept the conference in session. Citing previous statements, the Tunisian delegation withdrew the motion and asked the Secretariat to “indicate clearly at each pertinent point in report that they disassociate themselves from recommendation in question,” thereby allowing discussion to proceed. (Telegram 1489 from Rome, November 30; ibid.)
- Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Central Files, 1964–66, AV 3 ICAO. Confidential. Drafted by R. Funseth (EUR) and L. Williams (EUR); cleared by Joan S. Gravatt (AL), Elizabeth Ann Brown (UNP), and Wagner (AFI); and approved by D. McKillop (WE). Also sent to Rome and Montreal and repeated to Pretoria and USUN.↩
- On November 27 the delegate from Tunisia introduced a resolution excluding both South Africa and Portugal: “Delegations of independent states of Africa request adjournment, sine die, of discussion on route segments between Portugal, African Portuguese territories, and South Africa, and in meantime request Secretariat to prepare a new table of aircraft operations on this basis.” (Telegram 1468 from Rome, November 27; ibid.) Discussion of the resolution was postponed until November 30 by which time an apparent compromise kept the conference in session. Citing previous statements, the Tunisian delegation withdrew the motion and asked the Secretariat to “indicate clearly at each pertinent point in report that they disassociate themselves from recommendation in question,” thereby allowing discussion to proceed. (Telegram 1489 from Rome, November 30; ibid.)↩