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  4. Document 1211

740.00119 (Potsdam)/7–3045

No. 1211
Proposal by the Soviet Delegation 1
[Translation]
[ Babelsberg ,] July 30, 1945.

On Conditions in Trieste–Istria District

Soviet Proposal

The Soviet Government have taken knowledge of the message of Mr. I. Šubašić, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Yugoslavia, and Marshal I. Broz-Tito, Prime-Minister of Yugoslavia, to the Heads of the Three Governments concerning conditions in Trieste–Istria District,2 It is said in that message that Italian fascist laws which had been in action until September 8, 1943, were restored on the territory of Trieste–Istria in consequence of Allied military authorities activity. Former Italian institutions are being restored; persons who had occupied executive posts in the period of German occupation are permitted to participate in the civil administration. At the same time obstacles are being made to the activities of democratic institutions of the local Yugoslavian administration which had been created during the period of struggle against occupants, in a number of cases these institutions are ignored by the representatives of the Allied military authorities.

The Government of Yugoslavia request that the laws which had been in action until September 8, 1943, on Trieste–Istria territory be revoked, that the possibility of normal activities should be given to the democratic institutions of the local administration represented by the people’s committees having the support and confidence of the population and that in such cases when those institutions do not [Page 1222] correspond to the proper requirements their replacement should be effected by the way of free democratic elections.

The Soviet Government consider desirable that the proposals of the Government of Yugoslavia expressed in the message of Mr. I. Šubašić, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Marshal I. Broz-Tito, Prime Minister of Yugoslavia, should be met by the Conference of the Heads of the Three Governments.

  1. Attachment 12 to the summary of the Tenth Meeting of the Foreign Ministers, July 30. See ante, pp. 494, 498. This proposal was apparently withdrawn by Stalin at the Eleventh Plenary Meeting, July 31. See ante, pp. 525 (footnote 46), 537.↩
  2. Document No. 1207.↩