247. Editorial Note
On December 27, 1961, the Head of the German Section of the Soviet Foreign Ministry, I. I. Il’ichev, handed German Ambassador Kroll a long memorandum, apparently written by Khrushchev, outlining the Soviet position on the world situation and Soviet-German relations in particular. The memorandum broke no new ground on the question of Berlin, although it did allow economic, cultural, and political contacts between the Federal Republic and West Berlin. For text of the memorandum, which Kohler described as “obviously divisive in intent” (memorandum to Rusk, January 1, 1962; Department of State, Central Files, 661.62A/1-862), see Europa Archiv, Folge 3/1962, pages D59-70, or Moskau Bonn, pages 876-877. A translation of the memorandum is attached to Kohler’s memorandum to Rusk. For Kroll’s account of receiving the memorandum, see Lebenserinnerungen eines Botschafters, pages 537 ff.