861.51/5–1746
The Appointed Ambassador of the Soviet Union (Novikov) to the Acting Secretary of State
Sir: In connection with the note of the Secretary of State dated April 18, 1946 I am instructed to communicate to you the following:
The Soviet Government, as it was already indicated in my note of March 15, 1946, is prepared to start negotiations with the United States Government on the questions: of the amount and conditions of a long-term Governmental credit of the United States of America to the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, of the conclusion of a treaty of friendship, commerce and navigation between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America, of methods for giving effect to the terms of Article VII of the Soviet Master Lend-Lease Agreement of June 11, 1942, such as are suggested in the United States Government’s “Proposals for Expansion of World Trade and Employment” and on the question of Lend-Lease supplies.
The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics does not object to the proposals by the United States Government to start [Page 842] the negotiations on the above mentioned questions in May 1946 in Washington.
As to the other economic questions mentioned in the Secretary of State’s note the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, seeing no direct relation between these questions and those mentioned above, nevertheless is prepared to exchange in a preliminary fashion opinions on these questions during negotiations mentioned above.
The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics also agrees to enter into negotiations on the questions of civil aviation and navigation on rivers of international concern. The exact date of the negotiations on these questions can be named during the negotiations which should be started in the second part of May 1946.
Accept [etc.]