701.6171/14: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Thurston) to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:17 p.m.]
674. It is announced in Pravda that A. I. Lavrentev has been appointed as Soviet Minister to Rumania having been released from his duties as Minister to Bulgaria.
Embassy’s 353, April 4, 6 p.m. The Rumanian Minister states that Molotov requested him on June 11 to ascertain whether the appointment of Mr. Levrentev would be acceptable to the Rumanian Government and that he received his Government’s agreement to the appointment yesterday and so met Molotov at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon. He states that Lavrentev recently visited Belgrade for the purpose [Page 476] of exchanging ratification of the Soviet-Yugoslav trade agreement.31 Mr. Davidescu has no knowledge of an impending visit to Moscow by Gafencu and is inclined to believe that radio reports regarding such a visit are unfounded.
- Ratifications were exchanged in Belgrade on May 31, 1940.↩