501.BC/4–846: Telegram
The United States Representative at the United Nations (Stettinius) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:20 p.m.]
41. For Byrnes from Stettinius. Official text (Doc. S/30) of a letter dated April 6th from Ambassador Gromyko to the Security Council President has just been received. It follows:
Mr. President: On 26 March, when the Security Council proceeded to consider the Iranian Government’s statement of 18 March regarding the delay in the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Iran, I proposed, under instructions from the Soviet Government, that this question should not be considered by the Security Council.
I pointed out on that occasion that, under the understanding with the Iranian Government, full evacuation of the Soviet troops from Iran was started on 24 March and would be completed in 5 or 6 weeks and that in consequence the Security Council had no reason to consider the Iranian question.
The Security Council, however, did not agree with the Soviet Government and retained the Iranian question on the agenda. In the meantime the Soviet-Iranian negotiations continued and, as is known from the joint Soviet-Iranian communiqué published on 4 April, an understanding on all points was reached between the Soviet and the Iranian Governments.
This has fully confirmed the accuracy of the Soviet Government’s statement of 26 March and the absence of any reason for bringing the Iranian question before the Security Council for consideration.
The Soviet Government, moreover, cannot ignore the resolution adopted by the Security Council on 4 April. Under this resolution the Security Council decided to continue the consideration of the Iranian question on 6 May despite the fact that on 3 April the Soviet Government stated that the question of the evacuation of Soviet troops had been settled by an understanding reached between the Soviet and the Iranian Governments. Such a resolution of the Security Council might have been well-founded if the position in Iran had threatened international peace and security, as provided in article 34 of the Charter of the United Nations.
Under the Charter, the Security Council may investigate any dispute or any situation which might endanger the maintenance of international peace and security. It is, however, quite obvious that in fact such a position did not and does not now exist in Iran, so that the Security Council had no reason to give further consideration to the Iranian question on 6 May.
Accordingly, the above-mentioned resolution of the Security Council of 4 April is incorrect and illegal, being in conflict with the Charter of the United Nations.
[Page 411]For the above-mentioned reasons the Soviet Government insists that the Iranian question should be removed from the agenda of the Security Council.
I have the honour, etc.,
Signed. Andrei A. Gromyko
Ambassador
His Excellency,
Dr. Quo Tai-Chi,
President of
the Security Council.