Memorandum: Micronesia Sig Documents
Department of State (1981-08-07). Memorandum: Micronesia Sig Documents. Department of State.
- Has attachment: File:5W5T398Z.pdf
Abstract: A proposed National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) and accompanying cover letter from L. Paul Bremer, III, then Executive Secretary for United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Bremer specifically provided revised pages of the Executive Summary of the NSDD.
-The U.S. should reaffirm its commitment to convert non-defense-related aids t o navigation (buoys) in Micronesia to a t y p e which can be maintained by the Micronesians within t h e i r own local resources. Funding f o r this program, currently estimated to cost $1.5 t o $2 million, should be sought as part of first-year Compact funding.
-The U.S. should continue to manage the political status negotiations with the Micronesian governments through the interagency Office for Micronesian Status Negotiations as currently constituted -i.e. as an independent element within the National Security Council system and an appendage of the Executive Office of the President, staffed and funded by the Departments of State and Defense - - and under the active oversight a n Interdepartmental Group with representatives of interested departments and agencies as full members and chaired by a principal officer of the Department of State. ・
-- The U.S. should seek a n additional subsidiary agreement or minute of understanding in which the Micronesians would a c c e p t the immediate application to them of any legislated change to Section 936 o f the Internal Revenue Code. Should this prove impossible, the fall-back provisions described on pages 117-118 of SIGM No. 5 should be considered.
- The following i s s u e s should be made the subject of further study by the Micronesia IG, in accordance with the guidelines set forth on pages 118-121 of SIGM No. 5, and recommendations resulting from such study should be submitted to the SIG as required:
(a) Northern Marshall Islands Nuclear Claims; (b) Plebiscite Ballot on the Compact of Free Association; (c) Phased Implementation of the Compact; (e) Encouragement of U.S. investment and involvement in the Micronesian states.
[(The following issue remained to be resolved at the meeting of t h e Senior Interdepartmental Group on 6 August.)]
With respect to the issue of management of the future relationship between the United States and Micronesia (recommendation (d) on pages 120-121 of SIGM No. 5), the majority of the IG, including State, Defense, JCS, Justice, OMB and USUN, believes that this issue should also be made the subject of further study and that no decision should be made until the negotiations are completed and the final shape of the new relationship is known.
Further study should include full consideration of the international implications of such a decision and of the views of the Congress and of the Micronesian governments.
The Department of the Interior differs with the majority recommendation and would prefer a decision at this time that Interior be designated to manage the future relationship. Interior believes it is in the national interest that administration of the future relationship with Micronesia be vested in the same department that has responsibility for managing the federal relationship with other closely-associated entities (i.e., Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands and the Northern Marianas Islands; Interior does not manage the Federal Relationship with Puerto Rico, nor does any other department). Interior notes also that key members of the Senate Committeeo n Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Interior and InsularAffairs, which now have oversight of territorial matters and to which the Compact of Free Association will presumably be submitted for approval in the first instance, have expressed their desire that Interior continue to administer the U.S. relationship with Micronesia after termination of the Trusteeship.
[(The August 6 SIG successfully resolved this issue. See NSDD.)]
