22. Memorandum of Conversation0
SECRETARY’S DELEGATION TO THE EIGHTEENTH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
New York, September 1963
SUBJECT
- U.S.-Bulgarian Relations—Trade, Citizenship
PARTICIPANTS
- United States
- The Secretary of State
- Ambassador Adlai E. Stevenson
- John A. Baker, Jr., USUN
- Bulgaria
- Mr. Ivan Khristov Bashev, Foreign Minister
- Amb. Milko Tarabanov, Bulgarian Permanent Representative to UN
- Mr. Lyubomir Popov, Bulgarian Minister to the United States
- Interpreter
Following the opening amenities, the Secretary made reference to the recent steps made toward the improvement of U.S.-Bulgarian relations and expressed the U.S. desire to work for further improvements.
In response to this, Foreign Minister Bashev expressed his agreement but noted that in regard to the recently concluded Claims Agreement1 the Bulgarian Government had made quite a few concessions which they felt were justified by the desire to improve U.S.-Bulgarian relations in the future. Bashev made favorable reference to the joint declaration made at the time when the Claims Agreement was completed. He expressed regret, however, that he could not describe present U.S.-Bulgarian commercial relations as satisfactory. He noted Bulgarian readiness to buy a number of U.S. products, mentioning factories for cigarettes and artificial fibers, plus cotton, grain, fodder and paper. He said, however, that Bulgaria wants the same price conditions as other countries, needs more expeditious action on U.S. export licenses, needs better tariff treatment on its exports, and wants credit arrangements similar to those available from West Germany, France, Italy and Japan.
[Page 48]The Secretary replied by enumerating the various problems which impede development of U.S.-Bulgarian trade relations noting U.S. legislation on strategic goods, extension of credit, and most-favored nation treatment, on which latter question favorable Congressional action towards Eastern European countries other than Yugoslavia and Poland is not likely this year. The Secretary expressed hope that some steps could be undertaken on the problems within the purview of the Executive Branch and mentioned a review of export licensing policy, a desire to examine more closely what Bulgarian products can be marketed in the United States, and the need to reach agreement on trade practices such as those involving patents and copyrights and dumping. He observed that in an improving international atmosphere involving U.S.-Bulgarian relations as well, American consumers would be more receptive to Bulgarian products and American businessmen more anxious to sell to Bulgaria. He also observed that greater travel would contribute to improving this atmosphere and observed that the United States is interested in having more Bulgarian tourists as well as seeing more Americans travel to Bulgaria. He said that the conclusion of an agreement on travel of dual nationals similar to that recently concluded between the United States and Czechoslovakia would encourage more Americans of Bulgarian origin to travel to Bulgaria.
Bashev, commenting on the Secretary’s remarks, observed that there would be no problem of dumping from Bulgaria and that his country was a signatory of the international agreement on patents and copyrights. He welcomed the Secretary’s suggestion that some steps to improve trade could be pursued even prior to any changes in U.S. legislation and stated that he would like to be able to say to his government that a decision had been reached to start negotiations soon on this matter.
The Secretary replied that for reasons of timing in relations with the committees of Congress, the United States would prefer to have a preliminary stage of discussions and examination of the trade problem before entering into a stage of actual negotiations.
Bashev agreed to this approach and then commented on the question of tourism, noting that Bulgarian tourism to the United States was obstructed by the lack of a direct air route and the shortage of hard currency which the Bulgarian Government could afford to earmark for tourism.
The Secretary replied that, although we were desirous of an increase of Bulgarian tourism to the United States, we recognized that there would be an imbalance in tourism but that this would perhaps help Bulgaria to acquire currency with which to cover its imports from the United States.
[Page 49]Bashev replied that the question of dual citizenship could easily be resolved on the basis of a treaty and that Bulgaria had no problem in this connection.
The Secretary concluded by mentioning he expected shortly there would be some important decision on the question of sale of U.S. grain to the Eastern European countries and that he hoped to be in touch with the Minister when this decision was reached. He noted that the sale of grain would be a good point to begin the exchange of U.S.-Bulgarian trade since the American public has a more receptive attitude toward trade in food commodities with the socialist countries than it does with trade in some other commodities.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL Bul-US. Confidential. Drafted by Baker on October 1 and approved in S on October 4. The meeting was held at the U.S. Mission. The source text is labeled “Part I of II.” Part II, a separate memorandum of conversation on Greek-Bulgarian relations, is not printed.↩
- For text of the U.S.-Bulgarian agreement and accompanying declarations, see Department of State Bulletin, July 22, 1963, pp. 138–141.↩