109. Editorial Note
As preparatory negotiations continued for the February 1969 INTELSAT conference, the Soviet Union maintained that it would not join an organization in which usage determined voting rights and control. As reported by the Embassy in Stockholm on October 11, Sweden was planning to raise the issue in the UN Space Committee because Swedish officials “seem prepared to assume that conference will fail.” The Swedes believed that the Soviets and their East European allies would find a conference under UN auspices “useful and more attractive.” (Telegram 3171 from Stockholm, October 11, 1968; National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Central Files, 1967–69, TEL 6)
On October 15 the Department replied: “While we agree that the Soviet Intersputnik proposal cannot simply be ignored, we believe it is important to maintain proper perspective with respect to it. INTELSAT is going concern with 63 members in most parts of the globe and with effective and important international communications in being. It is also an operating commercial enterprise representing major investments. Intersputnik on the other hand is only a proposal, and its only known support is regional, not global.” The Department believed that the Swedish proposal would be counterproductive since it would not prevent the establishment of an independent Soviet satellite system and would seriously undercut U.S. efforts to obtain Soviet participation in INTELSAT. (Telegram 255834 to Stockholm and USUN, October 15; ibid.)
In November the United Kingdom launched a strong effort to rally opposition in Europe and dissuade Sweden from approaching the United Nations. (Telegram 27302 from London, November 16; ibid.) U.K. officials found that Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany opposed the Swedish initiative, Norway was equivocal, and France was sympathetic. (Telegram 280799 to London, December 3; ibid.)
The Department urged the U.S. Mission to the United Nations to explain the problem to its Swedish counterpart: “The Soviets have not responded to our past invitation to discuss membership in INTELSAT, and we simply do not know whether U.S.S.R. is sincerely interested in joining organization or what changes, if any, would make INTELSAT politically acceptable to it. If Sweden believes itself in a position to explore this matter with U.S.S.R. prior to conference establishing definitive arrangements, its assistance would be most welcome.” Swedish representatives privately informed USUN officials on December 18 that they would “make no further move re INTELSAT at this session.” (Telegram 8567 from USUN, December 18; ibid.)