740.0011 Moscow/10–1943
Conference Document No. 24
[Translation]
The Soviet People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs
(Molotov)
to the Secretary of State
Moscow, October 24,
1943.
My Dear Mr. Secretary: As promised by me at
today’s meeting of our Conference, I am transmitting to you herewith the
text of the Statement of the Soviet Delegation on Point 8 of the Agenda,
“Question of Agreement between the Principal Allies and the Small Allies
on Post-war questions”.
I beg you, Mr. Secretary, to accept the assurance of my highest
regards.
Appendix: as mentioned.
[Enclosure—Translation]
Statement of the Soviet Delegation on Point 8 of
the Agenda
On the question of agreement between the principal Allies and the
Small Allies concerning post-war questions the British Government
has presented a proposal, put forward in a draft note which has been
presented in the form of a proposal of the British Government
regarding this point of the Agenda. According to this proposal, the
British Government and the Soviet Government would conclude an
agreement not to conduct negotiations concerning any obligations or
agreements whatsoever with the Governments of other European
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states which are their
allies in the joint struggle, regarding questions relating to the
post-war period.
The Soviet Government cannot give its assent to this proposal of the
British Government. The Soviet Government considers that the
Anglo-Soviet Treaty of Alliance of May 26, 1942, does not contain
any conditions according to which the contracting parties must not
conclude agreements with other Allied countries concerning post-war
questions. The Government of Great Britain expressed agreement with
this point of view, informing the Soviet Government of that in a
Memorandum presented in Moscow on August 23, 1943.
The Soviet Government is prepared, in so far as that corresponds to
the desires of the British Government, to conclude an agreement with
the Government of the United Kingdom obligating both parties not to
conclude, with governments of European states which are Allies in
the common struggle against Hitlerite Germany, any agreements or
treaties whatever concerning post-war questions without previous
consultation or agreement.
The Soviet Government, at the same time, considers it the right of
both Governments, both the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom, for
the purpose of preserving peace and resisting aggression, to
conclude agreements on post-war questions with bordering Allied
states, without making that action dependent on consultation and
agreement between them, in so far as agreements of such a character
concern questions of the direct security of their boundaries and of
the corresponding states bordering on them, as, for example, the
U.S.S.R. and Czechoslovakia.