Office of the Historian

188. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Allen) to President Reagan1

Washington, April 6, 1981

SUBJECT

  • Confirmation of U.S. Arms Transfer Policy Toward Yugoslavia (S)

Readiness to provide military assistance to Yugoslavia has been part of U.S. foreign policy since 1948, when Tito broke with Stalin. It ought to be continued, and in that sense there is no disagreement with the Secretary of State’s recommendation at Tab A.2 However, two considerations may be kept in mind:

1.
In our arms transfer policy the criterion ought not to be solely whether a given country is hostile to and/or threatened by the Soviet Union but also whether in its overall foreign policy it broadly supports positions taken by the United States. Yugoslavia has for many years seen itself as a leader of the “non-aligned bloc” and in this capacity taken positions hostile to the United States. (This holds true, for example, of its position on the Arab-Israeli dispute.) One cannot, of course, make arms transfers conditional on the recipient’s alignment with U.S. foreign policy. But a greater sensitivity to the general foreign policy line of a given country instead of a narrow focus on its relations vis-a-vis Moscow would not be amiss.
2.
While Yugoslavia in theory has a great deal of interest in U.S. arms, in practice it has not been eager to acquire them for fear of annoying the Russians. Actual arms transfers to Yugoslavia over the past several years have been lilliputian: in FY 1979 equipment deliveries amounted to $354,000 and in FY 1980 to $636,000. (S)

RECOMMENDATION

That you approve the continuance of the present policy.3

  1. Source: Reagan Library, Robert H. Lilac Files, Arms Transfer: Country Files, AT: Yugoslavia [January 1981–April 1981]. Secret. Sent for action. Copies were sent to Bush, Meese, Baker, and Deaver. “The President has seen” is stamped at the top of the memorandum. Beneath this notation, written in an unknown hand, is “approved 4/15/81.”↩
  2. Not found attached. See Document 186.↩
  3. The “Approve” option was checked.↩