154 



As part of the review, the Administration is considering 

 all options, including the possibility that overall U.S. 

 interests will be better served without a Lav; of the Sea 

 Treaty. 



25. To make any headway during the next round of talks, 

 you obviously will need the assistance of the more moderate 

 Third World nations. 



... Which ones in particular, are you counting on? 



... On the other side of the coin, which countries have 

 proven to be the most intractable? 



A. Assuming that after the review we conclude that we 



should continue to pursue the current approach aimed at 



concluding a single comprehensive treaty dealing with all 



oceans uses, we shall seek constructive relationships with 



all important participants in the Conference. Depending 



on the types of changes we would be seeking in the text, the 



negotiating task could be quite difficult. To identify, even 



before we know our own position, which countries would be 



likely to be helpful and which difficult is really quite 



impossible. Even if this could be done, giving the "kiss of 



death" to those countries we believe might be helpful by 



identifying them would only make them less effective in our 



behalf. 



26. Would it be fair to say that much of the disagreement 

 to date in the treaty talks can be attributed to the difference 

 of interest and ideologies between the advanced maritime 

 states, which have the technology and capital to exploit the 

 seas now, and the developing nations which possess numerical 

 strength at the conference but wish to delay exploitation to 

 share fully in its benefits as a right unrelated to risk and 

 capital participation ? 



