Page:Ford, Kissinger, British Ambassador Sir Peter Ramsbotham - January 22, 1975(Gerald Ford Library)(1552922).pdf/2

 He is an adviser attached to the Prime Minister's Office. He handles the oil negotiations with the United States.

The Prime Minister congratulates you on your State of the Union message. He especially likes the part on the reduction of consumption and cooperation and the part on combatting recession. The energy problem will be more difficult to cope with.

You are very fortunate yourselves. You have relief in sight -- in the North Sea.

But in the short term we have a problem. We plan to cut consumption by 7 percent.

Some of that is caused by recession.

That's true.

You have a better mass transportation system, without the distances we have like in the Midwest.

We are keen to go into cooperation with you on developing alternative sources and measures to reduce consumption.

The British have been very helpful on all the energy matters.

Our interests are identical. We have to be more careful because we are more vulnerable -- geographically and financially.

When will your oil start to come in?

It starts about half in '77. We hope to have the full load by '80 -- if the negotiation goes well.

And when Great Britain joins OPEC.... [Laughter.]

My main purpose in coming in today is to ask: would it be agreeable for the Queen and the Duke of EdinburgEdinburgh [sic] to visit in 1976?

Unequivocally yes. It would be a great moment in our history.