723.61/8–2845
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Dunn)
Acting upon the request of the Peruvian Ambassador12 which was concurred in by the Office of the American Republics, I asked Mr. Novikov, Chargé d’Affaires of the Soviet Embassy, to come in this morning at 12:00 o’clock noon.
I told Mr. Novikov that the Peruvian Government had asked the United States Government to express to the Soviet Government the desire of Peru to establish diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union in order to complete its relationship with all the members of the United Nations and that the Peruvian Ambassador in Washington had been authorized to take the matter up with the Soviet Embassy. I said that as the Peruvian Embassy had no communication with the Soviet Embassy, this Government, upon request of the Peruvian Government, was happy to convey this information to Mr. Novikov and to ask the Soviet Chargé d’Affaires if he would ascertain whether his Government was prepared to discuss with the Peruvian Government this extension of friendly relations between the two Governments. I said that if the Soviet Government were to accede to this suggestion, upon receiving notification to that effect, the Department of State would inform the Peruvian Ambassador accordingly and would arrange for the Peruvian Ambassador and the Soviet Chargé d’Affaires to meet at some time convenient to each other with a view to continuing directly between them the discussion of the arrangements for the establishment [Page 230] of diplomatic relations. I further said that I was proceeding to London next Monday. Mr. Novikov, upon receiving the reply from his Government, would communicate with Mr. Matthews, Director of the Office of European Affairs, who would see that the Peruvian Ambassador was informed accordingly.
Mr. Novikov stated that he was very pleased to hear of this decision of the Peruvian Government and hoped that his Government would accede to this request. In any event he would communicate immediately to Moscow and would let Mr. Matthews know of the response of his Government.
- Pedro Beltrán.↩