761.74/2–2246
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Chief of the Division of Southern European Affairs (Barbour)
| Participants: | Lt. Gen. Vladimir Stoichev, Informal Bulgarian Political Representative in the United States; |
| Mr. Cohen, Counselor, | |
| Mr. Barbour, Acting Chief, SE |
Mr. Cohen today received General Stoichev, informal Bulgarian Political Representative in this country, and after summarizing orally to him the views of this Government in regard to the execution of the Moscow decision concerning Bulgaria, handed General Stoichev an aide-mémoire in that conversation.60 Mr. Cohen emphasized that it was and is the attitude of this Government that, if both the Bulgarian Government and opposition endeavor in a spirit of conciliation to find a mutually agreeable basis for the inclusion of two truly representative members of the opposition into the government, it will be possible to carry out the arrangement agreed on at Moscow. In answer to General Stoichev’s inquiry as to what conditions the U.S. Government would consider as forming a reasonable basis for the participation of opposition representatives, Mr. Cohen indicated that we did not wish to specify particular conditions and reiterated that the matter is one which should be capable of solution by the Government and the opposition themselves if a sincere spirit of conciliation exists on both sides. Mr. Cohen added that we hope that no action will be taken by either side to acerbate the situation in the meantime and said that we would regret it if any recriminations should be made by either side against the other which could not fail to make ultimate agreement more difficult.
- For text of the aide-mémoire of February 22, 1946, from Cohen to Stoichev, see Department of State Bulletin, March 17, 1946, p. 447. The text of the aide-mémoire was also delivered to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry on February 25 and to the Soviet Foreign Commissariat on February 27. On March 5, the British Political Representative in Bulgaria informed the Bulgarian Foreign Minister that the British Government shared the views set forth in the aide-mémoire of February 22.↩