Office of the Historian

138. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Ford, Washington, October 30, 1975.1 2

Washington, October 30, 1975

MEMORANDUM
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
ACTION

October 30, 1975

MEMORANDUM FOR: THE PRESIDENT
FROM: HENRY A. KISSINGER [HK initialed]

SUBJECT: U.S.-Indonesia Consultative Arrangements

The NSC Under Secretaries Committee has forwarded a memorandum to you (Tab B) recommending that you approve a formal proposal to the Indonesian Government in the establishment of a Joint U.S. Consultative Commission.

You discussed establishing such a body with President Suharto during his visit to Camp David on July 5. Other Indonesian leaders have shown an interest in having such a formal mechanism as a Joint Consultative Commission to discuss periodically issues of significant concern.

I believe the establishment of such a Joint Commission is in our interests. Regular policy consultation can be expected to favorably influence Indonesian positions on international issues of importance to us, and to demonstrate high level U.S. interest in Indonesia.

The Under Secretaries’ memorandum outlines two possible structures for such a consultative arrangement:

  • — Option I: A Joint Consultative Commission co-chaired by the Secretary of State and the Indonesian Foreign Minister. This body would include on the U.S. side, sub-cabinet representatives from Defense, Treasury, State and other agencies which the agenda of the Commission dictates.
  • — Option II: Two separate Committees: A Joint Economic Committee and a Joint Security Affairs Committee.

The Indonesians have indicated informally that they would prefer a Joint Consultative Commission. The NSC Under Secretaries Committee also [Page 2] recommends that we adopt Option I as our preference. I agree. Option II would unnecessarily highlight the security aspects of our consultations, and would create needless problems of coordination between the two separate committees.

If you approve Option I, I will forward the National Security Decision Memorandum at Tab A to the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of State informing them of your decision and instructing them to propose to the Indonesian Government the establishment of a Joint U.S.-Indonesian Consultative Commission.

RECOMMENDATION:
That you approve Option I as outlined in the NSC Under Secretaries Committee and authorize me to forward the memorandum at Tab A.
APPROVE [GRF initialed]
DISAPPROVE

  1. Source: Ford Library, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–61, NSDM 311: U.S.-Indonesian Consultative Arrangements. Confidential. Sent for action. Tab A is attached. Tab B, the recommendations from the Undersecretaries Committee, is described in the source note for Document 134. Ford initialed the“approve” option. A notation at the top of the first page reads, “Signed 10/31.”↩
  2. Kissinger recommended that Ford approve the issuance of a NSDM proposing a single Joint U.S.-Indonesia Consultative Commission.↩