October 9, 1981
To the Senate of the United States:
With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I herewith transmit an agreement, effected by an exchange of notes at Madrid on September 4, 1981, extending for a period of eight months commencing September 21, 1981, the rights, duties, and obligations of the Parties under the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation of January 24, 1976 between the United States of America and Spain, 27 U.S.T. 3005, T.I.A.S. 8360 (the Treaty).
I transmit also, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the agreement.
The agreement would extend, until May 21, 1982, the rights, duties, and obligations of the Treaty, which by its terms expired on September 21, 1981. During that time, negotiations will continue on a successor agreement to the Treaty; it is expected that, by the time these negotiations are concluded, Spain will have completed the process of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty of April 4, 1949 (63 Stat. 2241; T.I.A.S. 1964). The agreement would preserve in force on an interim basis United States rights regarding access to and use of important military facilities in Spain, and otherwise continue the significant cooperative relationship now existing between the two countries under the provisions of the Treaty. This action is necessary in order to regularize the legal relationship between the United States and Spain in the post-September 21 period, and thereby to facilitate the current negotiations. I recommend that the Senate give prompt and favorable consideration to this agreement.
Ronald Reagan
The White House,
October 9, 1981.