Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Central and Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume IV

761.56/12–1650

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

[Translation]
confidential
No. 183

Washington, December 16, 1950.

Sir: I hereby acknowledge receipt of the note of the Government of the USA dated December 9 on the question of settlement of the lend-lease accounts.

I have the honor to inform you that the Government of the USSR, proceeding from the position set forth in its note of November 24, expresses its agreement with the proposal of the Government of the USA to renew the negotiations in Washington on January 15, 1951 and, for the conduct of the negotiations, has granted full authority to me and to Commercial Counselor of the Embassy of the USSR, N. K. Grigorev,¹ and at the same time has appointed Rear Admiral N. A. Piterski² as naval expert.³

Accept [etc.]

A. Panyushkin

1. Nikolay Konstantinovich Grigoryev was Commercial Counselor of the Embassy of the Soviet Union and Chairman of the Government Purchasing Commission of the Soviet Union in the United States.
2. Rear Admiral Nikolay Alexeyevich Pitersky had previously also been the naval expert representing the Soviet Union during the negotiations in 1949 for the return of the lend-leased icebreakers and frigates.
3. A summary of this note was sent to the Embassy in the Soviet Union in telegram 422 on December 18, with the statement that there was no objection to the immediate issuance of a visa for Grigoryev which had been applied for on November 30. (761.56/12–1650)