Greece - US Department of State

830 Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, Volume XXIX
there has been a continuing significant U.S. Navy presence in Greece
through ship visits. The requirements for ship repairs in Greek shipyards
are also increasing. Both points will bring out clearly that for
some time we have relied heavily on Greek ports to sustain Sixth Fleet
operations so that permitting homeporting for dependents to reside in
Greece will not change the present situation in any major way. It is
really a question of degree, particularly since homeporting will be on
an austere basis. In the same connection I believe we should stress the
administrative aspects of implementing homeporting.
The hearings can also provide the occasion to underscore the fact
that the GOG will not in any sense control or influence Sixth Fleet operations;
complete freedom of action in deployments will continue.
Finally, homeporting should be described in the context of our
overall commitment to NATO. This will enable us both to emphasize
that no further specific commitments to Greece are involved, and that
we are not undertaking any new commitments beyond those already
recognized under Article V of the NATO Treaty.
We should, of course, stress homeporting is to provide for families
of men and officers of the Sixth Fleet and does not involve any new
strategic considerations.
I hope the Embassy will have an opportunity to cooperate with
the Department on the preparation of any statements for the record,
and there may be other suggestions to pass along in this process. One
idea that occurs to me (since in the past both you and I have appeared
before the Rosenthal Subcommittee) is that this would be a first-rate
occasion for Joe Sisco to carry the Department’s position forward, particularly
since he can address the problem from the standpoint of the
broadest strategic considerations applicable to American policy in the
Eastern Mediterranean.
Sincerely, 5
5 Tasca added the handwritten notation, ”Best,” over the typed closing.
Henry