Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, Paris Peace Conference: Proceedings, Volume III

CFM Files

United States Delegation Journal

September 14, 1946, 3 p.m.

USDel (PC) (Journal) 42

The Representative of Poland presented his country’s views on a Statute for Trieste. (See CP (IT/P) Doc. 42).⁷ He was followed by M. Petrovsky (Ukraine) who spoke on the same subject and in the same vein. (CP (IT/P) Doc. 43).⁸ M. Molotov then delivered a 65 minute speech on the Soviet Government’s position with respect to a Statute for Trieste.⁹ During the course of his statement he defended the power of the veto in the Security Council asserting that repudiation of the veto right would render U.N.O. as ineffective and unworkable as the old League of Nations. In conclusion he listed the following conditions to be taken into account in connection with the Statute of Trieste “for the purpose of implementing the decisions taken on July 3, 1946 by the C.F.M.”:¹⁰

1. The Free Territory of Trieste will be neutral and demilitarized.

2. All foreign troops found in the Free Territory must be withdrawn within 30 days from the entry into force of the Peace Treaty with Italy.

3. The international regime of the Port of Trieste must assure that all international commerce can equally utilize the port and enjoy transit privileges, with free zones being placed at the disposition of Yugoslavia and Italy.

4. Economic collaboration between the Free Territory and Yugoslavia will be established (customs union, common administration of railroads, etc.).

5. The Governor’s duty is to assure respect of the Statute.

6. Legislative power is exercised by the Popular Assembly elected by universal suffrage.

7. Executive power belongs to the government of the Free Territory which is created by the Popular Assembly and responsible to it.

8. Right of acquisition of citizenship of the Free Territory is accorded to Italian residents domiciled therein June 10, 1940 and still residing there on the effective date of the Treaty. However this excludes persons active in the Fascist regime in Italy, active members of the Facist party, war criminals, Italian police and Italian state officials who arrived after 1922.

9. An interallied commission composed of representatives of the U.K., U.S.A., U.S.S.R. and France will after the effective date of the Treaty establish a provisional government of the Free Territory.

10. The provisional government shall fix within three months the date for elections to the Popular Assembly.

7. Not printed. The Polish representative supported the Yugoslav position.
8. Not printed.
9. For text, see Molotov, Problems of Foreign Policy, p. 173.
10. The United States Delegation Record and Record of Decisions of the 33rd Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, July 3, are printed in vol. ii, pp. 730 and 751.