91
the summer of 1978, levels 1 and 2 were agreed and signed. Spain was to
assume the initial costs for the access road, Observatory building permissions,
power lines, water supply, telephones and telex, the building of a residence
and restaurant, maintenance services, workshops, laboratories, administrative
offices, and other services.
Level 3 was more specific and required further detailed negotiation. It was
not finalized until January 1979. I remember that we met in the huts where the
IAC was stationed at the time. It took us three days to revise the texts and we
finally signed them on 21 January. We celebrated with Spanish cava and we all
signed the bottles. I still keep one of them as a prized and significant souvenir.
The final sprint was very Spanish in style: on 10 May 1979 the Council of
Ministers authorized the three levels of the multinational treaty at the request
of the Ministries of the Presidency of the Government, Universities and
Research, and Defence (this was the last ministry to participate (see Chap.
12). On the 26th of that same month the documents were signed during a
solemn ceremony at the La Palma Cabildo by ambassadors from the respective countries and the Minister (Pérez Llorca) of the Presidency of the
Government of Spain. The Official State Bulletin of 6 July published the documents, which were later ratified by Parliament.
Fig. 10.2 The scientific negotiation team celebrating with cava the finalization of the
negotiation for level three of the International Treaty on Astrophysics at the old headquarters of the IAC. (Credit: IAC)
10 A Multinational Astrophysics Treaty (1960–2014)
the summer of 1978, levels 1 and 2 were agreed and signed. Spain was to
assume the initial costs for the access road, Observatory building permissions,
power lines, water supply, telephones and telex, the building of a residence
and restaurant, maintenance services, workshops, laboratories, administrative
offices, and other services.
Level 3 was more specific and required further detailed negotiation. It was
not finalized until January 1979. I remember that we met in the huts where the
IAC was stationed at the time. It took us three days to revise the texts and we
finally signed them on 21 January. We celebrated with Spanish cava and we all
signed the bottles. I still keep one of them as a prized and significant souvenir.
The final sprint was very Spanish in style: on 10 May 1979 the Council of
Ministers authorized the three levels of the multinational treaty at the request
of the Ministries of the Presidency of the Government, Universities and
Research, and Defence (this was the last ministry to participate (see Chap.
12). On the 26th of that same month the documents were signed during a
solemn ceremony at the La Palma Cabildo by ambassadors from the respective countries and the Minister (Pérez Llorca) of the Presidency of the
Government of Spain. The Official State Bulletin of 6 July published the documents, which were later ratified by Parliament.
Fig. 10.2 The scientific negotiation team celebrating with cava the finalization of the
negotiation for level three of the International Treaty on Astrophysics at the old headquarters of the IAC. (Credit: IAC)
10 A Multinational Astrophysics Treaty (1960–2014)