Greece - US Department of State

Greece 737
293. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of
State 1
Athens, October 4, 1970, 1129Z.
5509. Subject: Meeting with Greek Prime Minister. From SecDef
Laird.
1. This morning I met for more than hour and half with Prime
Minister Papadopoulos in company with Chairman JCS, CNO and Ambassador
Tasca. Meeting was quite cordial and also quite frank. I began
by conveying message of friendship from President Nixon, and explained
that purpose President’s visit to Mediterranean 2 was to
underline resolve of US administration to honor its commitments to its
allies and to negotiate from position of strength with Soviet Union. Unfortunately,
in some areas Soviets seemed to be talking in one way and
acting in another. Mediterranean one area where this was case, and
President wished allies in Mediterranean be aware importance we attach
to peace and stability in this area.
2. Prime Minister replied warmly, endorsing the recent US moves
in the Mediterranean and Mid-East and indicating they were convincing
evidence of US resolve. He noted US and Greek goals of preventing
Communist aggression identical. He said we could be assured that
every weapon put into a Greek soldier’s hands was as good as in hands
of an American soldier. Greece had no territorial designs or ambitions
of its own, and importance of strengthening Greek Armed Forces related
entirely to Greece’s NATO role. Greece giving its limit in men
and matériel for defense effort, and it expected same total commitment
from other members Alliance. Greece could not however meet all of its
needs, particularly since country in front line of NATO defense, facing
three Communist neighbors. It expected help from its NATO allies in
the common interest of the Alliance, but even without such help it
would do its best to live up to its commitment.
3. To this I replied that from very beginning I personally made
clear in my testimony before Congress 3 that I favored resumption arms
shipments to Greece. Now happily this had been done, and we would
1 Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 593,
Country Files—Middle East, Greece, Vol. I Jan 69–Oct 70. Secret; Exdis. Another copy is
ibid., RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, ORG 7 OSD.
2 The President visited Italy, the Vatican, Yugoslavia, Spain, the United Kingdom,
and Ireland. September 27–October 4.
3 See The Foreign Assistance Act of 1969. Hearing Before the Committee on Foreign Relations,
United States Senate, 91st Congress, 1st session (Washington, D.C.: Government
Printing Office 1969), pp. 128–129.