MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD 
SUMMARY F NSC MEETING N NATO WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1968, 12:00 NOON 
The President opened the meeting by noting the forthcoming ATO ~inisterial Meeting at eykjavik. He asked Under Secretary Katzenbach to introduce the discussion. 
Under ~ecretary Katzenbac~ said the Ministerial Meeting was taking place against unhappy background --the difficulties in France, the lack of a government in Belgiurn, and the Berlin crisis. 
n the other hand, A T recently had been debated in orway and the Norwegians strongly voted for continued aupport of the Alliance.. 
Assist nt Secretary ~eddy 
By way o! introduction. Leddy said that NATO is in a better state of health than the pessimists predicted a few years ago. It had been effective in coordinating the disc sion among the governments on the PT and the 
uclear lanning Group waa moving along 'ell. 
Regarding the specific 1ssuea at Reykjavik, he said: 
--Berlin would be the subject of serious bilateral and quadripartite 
discuss ion among the U.S. • ritain, France, and Germany. The Secretary ia considering going to Bonn after the meeting. 
--Mutual Force eductions -~ e expect to have a ministerial declara­tion that NATO is willing to undertake troop reductions on a reciprocal baaia with the Ruesians. The French will not join but that will not matter. 
e do not expect the Ruaaiana to re•pond now. Vietnam i• one r aaon; their concern over Eastern urope is another. But the declaration may provide a platform for talk• with the Ru•aians on this i•eue, and progre•• ia poa•ible in the longer term. 
--Mediterranean -e anticipate aome low key action•. The Soviet threat there i• primarily political and secondarily military. The Miniater• will authorize increaaed aurveillance. 

-i£CR:ET ­


SECRE'f'­
-2­
--NPT ... e hope for NATO statement on the N, T, and we have worked out a scenario r affirming our commitment to help others su ort the PT. (The cenario as subsequently proved by the 
resident. 
--Berlin -ay iv the German som amn1unition to delay signing the T. 
• -Balance of Pawent ;nd Buaden Sharing ... ')u:r present rrangements to offset th b lance of a.ymente costs for our troop in NA O are temoorary. hey uy time but th y don't cure the problem. Over th longer term e look for the Briti h to do more in urope which coul ena le us to do leas. V1e can also anticipate the UK working to ard some kind of joint European n1ilitary effort -including joint 
r duction of milita:ry equipment. 
ecretary C~ifford.. 
--far the G rmans h v ot been \villin to take co t rm a ur • Th y have no reason therefore to blame us for th cri i • e ust try to build up support for Vi st Berhn. 
·gh l vel visits would help. 
T • ho 
ersuad d to o long. If y do 't, t 
e. 
ovlet fl t in t e diterranean aa recently active and mu t be carefully watched. lanned. 

ave language in 

out any unilateral troop reductions. e c n't o t i•• artic l rly in vi of th rising sentiment in the Con ea• that do som thing in thia field. At the Defense Minietera me ting had told the European• they ahould prepare for future r ductlon. ur anguage at eykjavik on thie ieaue ehould go no furth r than the ay 10 Defense inistere' atatement. 
--Gre c ... re ahoUld re•ume military aid to Greece. he importance of ou military position there baa incr aaed aa a result of the Soviet pre•ence in th diterranean. The Greek• are cooperative and will be of more value to u• if urkey makee trouble. 
Th reaident a•ked for comment• on the i••ue of reauming military aid to Greece. Under Secretary t&enbach. the Vice Preaident. nd Helm• acreed with Secretary Clifford. 
SECAl:T ­

-SECICEf -3­
--Burden Shar~1 -r aition la atill not eatiafactory. a4 purchaa •help but we muat get to eome better arran1 eat in th future. 
Secreta!J Fo ler 
• •till haven't built a financial pillar for the Alliance. o.r arl'Ul1•­menta are neither satiafactory nor enduring. The only meanin1.fw way of d alln1 with thla roblem over the lone term ia throuah increased pul'c ••• 
f U. S. il tary equipment by the European• or reduced U. S. military 

•X)Mnd.iture in uropo. 
Secretary Clifford •ald that the Germana have a.a enormoua ued. for ne mil tary aircraft. e should be able to work somethin1 out in the area of joint productio of new plane•. 
Und r Secretary Nitze diacuaaed the proapecta fol' the F-5 and eatimated that the total r et for a new military plane in Germany mi1ht be u much a• $3 iWon. 
The •• dent aa'ked State and Treaeury to review the atatua of thla -proj ct 1th Defenae.