Office of the Historian

840.811/6–1248

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador of the Soviet Union (Panyushkin)

The Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the Ambassador of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Ambassador’s note of June 12, 1948 concerning the convocation of a conference to work out a new convention regarding the regime of navigation of the Danube.

It is noted that the Ambassador states that the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has been informed by the Yugoslav Government that it would be difficult to make satisfactory arrangements for such a conference in Belgrade by July 30, 1948 as proposed and suggests instead that the conference be held in the capital of one of the other Danubian States participating in the conference on a voting basis. However, since the receipt of the Ambassador’s note under acknowledgement the Yugoslav Government has informed the United States Government that all necessary measures have been taken to insure that the conference is held in Belgrade on July 30.

While the United States Government has no objection to holding the conference in Bucharest, Budapest, Prague or Sofia, it was, and still is, equally pleased to accede to the original proposal of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics that the conference take place in Belgrade and, in the circumstances, will appreciate the further comments of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the light of this apparent misunderstanding.1

The Secretary of State is transmitting copies of this communication to the Governments of the United Kingdom and France.2

Washington, June 18, 1948.
  1. Note No. 114 dated June 18 came from the Embassy of the Soviet Union on June 19, 1948, and indicated that the technical difficulties standing in the way of holding the conference in Belgrade on July 30 had been the personal opinion of Foreign Minister Simich, which the Yugoslav government had not shared. Because now all the necessary measures had been taken in preparation for the conference and no obstacles remained, “the Soviet Government considers as reestablished the agreement previously reached in regard to the calling of the Conference in Belgrade on July 30 of this year.” (840.811/6–1848)↩
  2. These copies were sent on June 19 to the British and French Embassies in Washington.↩