CONSEIL DE L'ATLANTIQUE NORD NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL
NATOUNCLASSIFiED and EXEMPLAIRE N" PUBLIC DISCLOSED COPY 354
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH/FRENCH 'NATO RESTRICTED 19th September, 1953 DPC OlfENT • ~ 0^(53)121
CHAIRMANSHIP OF TlIJ NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL FOR 1953-19 5T~
Note by the Secretary General and Vice-Cuairman of the Council
On 14th September I received a telegram from Mr. Kraft (Annex A) in which he stated his wish to relinquish the chairmanship of the Council on 18th September, 1953»•
2. I immediately communicated this telegram-to the French Permanent Representative asking him if the French Government would be prepared to nominate a chairman of the North Atlantic Council who would assume office from the 18th September.
3, The French Permanent Representative replied (Annex B) that the French Government had nominated M. Georges Bidault, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to assume the chairmanship of the North Atlantic Council from the 18th September, 1953.
These communications are circulated for the information of the Council.
m (Signed) -ISMAY DECLASSIFIED - PUBLIC DISCLOSURE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ - MISE EN LECTURE PUBLIQUE LECTURE EN - MISE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ DISCLOSURE - PUBLIC DECLASSIFIED Telegram to Lord Ismay from the Danish Foreign Minister„ received through the Danish Foreign Office
Paris5 14th September 1953
My dear Lord Ismayj
On the 18th of September; 1952^ I succeeded my brillant colleague•Mr. Lester Pearson as chairman of the North Atlantic Council. Denmark's tenure of the chair is nov; coming to an end. I should have liked to have been able to 'come to Paris to hand over to my successor. I Peari however-, that this is now impossible The 22nd of September is election day which makes it imperative for me to be in Denmark during the preceding week, I should be most grateful5 therefore5 if you would notify the Council accordingly. Would you tell the Council of my deep disappointment that affairs in Denmark make it impossible for me to come to Paris at this time?
It has been a great honour to preside at some of the Council's meetings during the past year» I shall always preserve a precious memory of my co-operation with my colleagues from the other Atlantic countries and with the Permanent Representatives. I am most grateful for the consideration} help and unfailing support which were always accorded to me. I have been particularly grateful for the co-operation with you5 Lord Ismays during this year5 and for your untiring readiness to assist me in every way. The last burden I will place upon your shoulders in my capacity as chairman is to ask you to convey to the International Staff my sincere thanks for their invaluable help.
I have been uplifted by the devotion to our common task which the Ministers^ as well as the permanent Delegates and the Staff have invested in NATO. You have made yourselves a team of true and permanent Representatives of "the Atlantic Community.
Therefore5 I am confident in expressing the hope that our future co-operation within NATO will be marked by ever increasing unity between our fourteen countries. We should not be led astray from the road by which we have chosen to reach our goal; peace by common defensive strength.
In the year to come we will be faced with great problems most important of all5 perhaps 9 will be the promotion,, in each
DECLASSIFIED - PUBLIC DISCLOSURE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ - MISE EN LECTURE PUBLIQUE LECTURE EN - MISE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ DISCLOSURE - PUBLIC DECLASSIFIED individual nation5 of popular support of a truly international solution-of our common problems. In this Yirork we should never lose sight of the civilian aspects of the Treaty. Only if the common military efforts go hand in hand with a balanced development of our co-operation in any other field will NATO become a true- Atlantic Cornmunity5 that is5 an alliance of peoples.
Not least with this in mind I am sure that the Council could have no better Chairman than a Representative of France5 a country whose contribution to international co-operation has been most constructive.
I wish the Council and its new Chairman every success in the future. Very sincerely yourSs (Signed) OLE BJ0RN KRAFT -2- From: The Permanent Representative of Prance5 NATO.
: TO: The Secretary Generals NATO.
Paris3 17th September 1953
Dear Lord Ismays
In your letter of 15th Septemher 1953 you sent me a telegram from Mr. Kraft5 Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the North Atlantic Councils informing you that the 18th September would mark the end of the year during which Denmark had taken the Chair at the Ministerial Meetings of the Council and that Mr. Kraft would thus cease to he Chairman of the Council as from 18th September next. As it is now the turn of France to assume the Chairmanship of the Councils you asked me whom the French Government was nominating for this office.
I have the honour to inform you that the French Government has nominated Mr. Georges Bidaults Minister for Foreign Affairss as Chairman of the North Atlantic Council from Friday5 the 18th September 1953.
Very sincerely yourss
(Signed) HERVE ALPHAND DECLASSIFIED - PUBLIC DISCLOSURE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ - MISE EN LECTURE PUBLIQUE LECTURE EN - MISE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ DISCLOSURE - PUBLIC DECLASSIFIED