349. Message From Prime Minister Bulganin to President Eisenhower1
Dear Mr. President: I have received your
message concerning the sale of arms to Egypt.2
We fully share the opinion you have expressed that our common purpose is
the relaxation of tensions between us. For our part, we are ready to
contribute to this by every means, as well as to a solution of various
problems, including the Near East.
I would ask you to acquaint yourself with the message that I sent some
days ago to Prime Minister A.Eden, which I enclose. It refers specifically to the
question that interests you. I should like to assure you that there are
no grounds whatever for concern.
I beg you to accept my very best wishes.
Sincerely yours,
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[Enclosure]
TEXT OF REPLY OF N.A. BULGANIN TO PRIME MINISTER
A. EDEN4
Thank you for your message of October 55 in which you expressed with all frankness your
views on the deliveries of arms to Egypt.
We highly appreciate your concern for peace and fully share your
desire to guarantee the preservation of peace in the region of the
Near and Middle East. However, in this connection the decision of
the Egyptians to purchase arms in Czechoslovakia is no cause for
concern.
It is known that the Egyptian Republic has an army and also has
heretofore received arms for it from other countries. It is
understandable that in the interests of its own defense and the
safeguarding of the country’s independence it needs arms in some
quantity. It is natural that the Egyptian Republic desires to
acquire these arms in exchange for the products of its own labor,
not binding itself with any obligations whatever that might impair
its sovereign rights. It is apparent from the statements of the
Egyptian as well as Czechoslovak Governments that the contract
concluded between them is of just that character. Moreover, there
are no grounds for speaking in this instance of any arms race or for
considering that these arms deliveries may lead to a violation of
the peace.
On the other hand, you well know that the United Kingdom and the
United States of America over many years have been delivering at
their own discretion considerable quantities of arms to various
countries of the Middle and Near East. These arms are delivered, as
a rule, under well known political conditions, for example, on
condition of the participation of the countries purchasing arms in
definite military groupings aimed against other states, which
actually leads to an armaments race. I should like to recall in this
connection that the proposals for arms deliveries were made by the
Western Powers to Egypt as well, on the condition of subordinating
the Egyptian army to a so-called “Middle East Command”, or of the
entry of Egypt into military groupings created there. If Egypt did
not want to follow this road and is defending its national rights
and legal interests, this should not give any cause for charges that
it is allegedly not interested in the preservation of peace. At all
events,
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the Soviet
Government has no grounds for thinking that Egypt is interested in
preserving peace any less than any other state in this region.
Moreover, we share the desire expressed in your letter that the great
powers which bear special responsibility for the preservation of
universal peace should show necessary concern for the lessening of
tensions between Egypt and Israel and generally in this region.
Achievement of these aims would contribute to a situation wherein
all states of this region will have confidence in the inviolability
of their rights and national interests. In this connection the
achievement by us of joint successes also in settling the basic
question of a general reduction of armaments would be of great
importance.
I should like to hope that this reply of mine will contribute in some
measure to dispel the apprehensions which you expressed.
