News In Brief

Portugal and US reach accord on Azores base

Portugal and the US were to sign here today an agreement extending for seven years American use of the strategic mid-Atlantic Lajes Air Base in the Portuguese autonomous region of the Azores.

Formal approval of the deal was to be made by Secretary of State George Shultz and Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama. The accord on the base, a vital refueling stop between the US and Europe, the Mideast, and Africa, must be ratified by Congress and Portugal's parliament.

The agreement calls for $38 million a year in US aid to the Azores and $92.3 million a year to reequip Portugal's armed forces.