C.F.M. Files: Lot M–88: Box 2110: Italy-Miscellaneous
The Italian Ambassador (Tarchiani) to the Secretary of State10
Mr. Secretary of State: I have the honor to inform you, on instructions by my Government, that the Italian Council of Ministers, having amply discussed in its meeting of yesterday afternoon the last proposals advanced by Marshal Tito in view of a settlement of the Italo-Yugoslav border question, has adopted the following resolution:
“The Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Signor Nenni, has reported to the Council of Ministers on his conversation during the morning [Page 1072] with Signer Togliatti, recently returned from Belgrade where he had conferred, in a strictly personal capacity, with Marshal Tito.
With regard to the statement made by Marshal Tito to Signor Togliatti, the Italian Government considers that the Yugoslav attitude on Trieste, the announcement of the impending repatriation of Italian P.O.W. from Yugoslavia, the intention of negotiating a Treaty of Commerce between the two countries, contain new factors such as may offer the possibility of direct negotiations within the framework of the general discussions for the conclusion of a Peace settlement.
The Italian Government is however unable to take into consideration the surrender to Yugoslavia of Gorizia, an integrant part of Italian territory, and unanimously recognized as such by the Four Big Powers, Referring to its last statement to the C.F.M., the Italian Government confirm the principle that the new frontier should be drawn following the ethnic line and taking recourse to a plebiscite where the application of the principle in question may give rise to dispute.”
Please accept [etc.]
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According to a memorandum by Samuel Reber, serving as a political adviser to the United States Delegation at the Council of Foreign Ministers in New York, dated November 8, 1946, this note was delivered by Ambassador Tarchiani to the United States Delegation. Reber’s memorandum read in part as follows:
↩“With respect to the possibility that direct negotiations between Italy and Yugoslavia might be continued on the basis of Tito’s statement, Tarchiani explained that telegraphic instructions from his Government state categorically that if any direct negotiations are to take place they should be held here within the framework of the Council of Foreign Ministers discussions for the conclusion of the peace settlement.
“Tarchiani further said that the Italian Government had not wished to close the door to the possibility of further talks with Yugoslavia, but that it seemed likely once the Gorizia–Trieste exchange had been refused, there would be no grounds. In any event, the Italian Government had no plans to take the initiative.” (C.F.M. Files, Lot M–88, Box 2110, Italy–Miscellaneous)