Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, The Near East and Africa, Volume V

U.N. Doc. A/1857

[Extract]

Report of the United Nations Special Committee on the Balkans¹

Geneva, August 15, 1951

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter VI

conclusions

205. The dual function of conciliation and observation with which the Special Committee was charged by the General Assembly, and which the latter confirmed by resolution 382 (V) adopted on 1 December 1950, has always remained the Special Committee’s constant concern. It has continued to observe the compliance or non-compliance by the Governments of Albania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Greece with the recommendations of the Assembly.^*

206. Full diplomatic representation between Greece and Yugoslavia was restored by an exchange of ministers on 28 November 1950. The two Governments have continued their efforts through diplomatic channels to solve their common problems, and progress is being made in the establishment of normal relations between the two Governments. A series of trade and communications agreements have been signed, and the repatriation of Greek children and other Greek nationals from Yugoslavia to Greece is proceeding. Yugoslavia has cooperated with the international Red Cross organisations and the Swedish Red Cross in making possible the progress thus far achieved. The children so far repatriated have been reunited promptly with their parents. In the light of this improvement in the situation the following paragraphs do not concern themselves with Greek-Yugoslav relations.^†

207. Diplomatic and good-neighbourly relations do not exist between Albania and Bulgaria, on the one hand, and Greece on the other. Whereas the Government of Greece has continued to co-operate with the Special Committee in the latter’s efforts to promote the establishment of such relations, the Governments of Albania and Bulgaria have presisted in their refusal to recognize it as a legally constituted body of the United Nations.^‡

208. In complete disregard of repeated General Assembly recommendations, those States at present accommodating the large number of Greek guerrillas known to have retreated into Albania and Bulgaria in 1949 have failed to permit any international verification of their disarming and disposition, thereby continuing a situation which constitutes a potential threat to the political independence and territorial integrity of Greece. Similarly, those States detaining Greek military personnel and other Greek nationals taken into the territories of the countries to the north of Greece as a result of the guerrilla warfare, in continued violation of accepted international practice, have made no effort to comply with the General Assembly recommendations concerning the repatriation either of such Greek military personnel, or of those other Greek nationals who desire to return to Greece and live in accordance with the law of the land.^§

209. In disregard of fundamental humanitarian principles, and despite the recommendations of the General Assembly in 1948, 1949 and 1950, which sought a solution of the problem on a purely humanitarian basis divorced entirely from political considerations, the States detaining the Greek children, with the exception noted above of Yugoslavia, have made no effort to permit the return to their homes in Greece of the children whose repatriation has been requested.^║

210. The problem of international refugees in Greece has undergone further development during the course of the past year. In view of the continued movement of political and other refugees across the northern frontiers into Greece, the Special Committee remains of the opinion that it would be desirable that these refugees should be resettled outside Greece.^¶

211. Although the Governments of Albania and Bulgaria have consistently disregarded the recommendations made by the General Assembly will regard to co-operation by them with the Special Committee, those two Governments have continued to submit to the Secretary-General complaints alleging frontier violations. As the submission of these complaints implies recognition of the jurisdiction of the United Nations in the matter, it is the opinion of the Special Committee that action should be taken to draw the attention of the Governments of Albania and Bulgaria to the fact that an appropriate United Nations body, established by the General Assembly, already exists precisely for the examination and investigation of such complaints, and that this investigation can only be carried out if those States will co-operate with the Special Committee.

212. The “Free Greece” radio station of the Greek guerrilla movement has continued to operate from Romanian territory, transmitting instructions to the so-called “fighters” of this movement. The similarity between, on the one hand, the instructions given to guerrilla groups introduced clandestinely into Greece, as revealed by interrogation of members of these groups and, on the other hand, the instructions broadcast by the “Free Greece” station, affords a significant illustration of the fact that the leadership of the guerrilla movement comes from outside Greece.^**

213. Furthermore, “Free Greece” broadcasts, accusing Greece of aggressive intentions towards Albania and Bulgaria, have been echoed by the Government-controlled propaganda emanating from certain East and Central European States. The presence of the Special Committee in Greece and the facts which it was able to establish on the spot made it possible for the Committee to affirm the groundlessness of these alarmist allegations and to ensure that they were assessed by world opinion at their true value.^††

214. Since the forced retreat of the guerrilla formations across the northern frontiers of Greece in 1949, the Greek guerrilla movement has changed its tactics and has not attempted to resume large-scale guerrilla warfare. In openly avowed pursuance of the same ultimate aim—the forcible overthrow of the Greek Government—the Greek guerrilla leaders have resorted to subversive agitation carried on in the frontier areas of northern Greece by small armed groups of specially selected and trained guerrillas which are under instructions to effect the underground re-organization of the Greek Communist and “Agrarian” parties, collect intelligence regarding the Greek armed forces, foment discontent, incite to insurrection and generally prepare for a future attempt to overthrow the Greek Government by force.^‡‡

215. The Special Committee has obtained a considerable amount of evidence showing not only that aid to the Greek guerrilla movement has continued to come from Albania and Bulgaria, but also that it is now afforded in varying forms by other Central and East European States, in defiance of the General Assembly’s injunction to Albania and Bulgaria to cease rendering any support to the Greek guerrillas, and its recommendation to all States to refrain from any action designed to assist any armed group fighting against Greece.^§§

216. There has been ample evidence to show that such guerrilla groups have been trained along parallel lines at special schools for Greek guerrillas in Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary for their subversive work in Greece. By means of a widespread and highly organized network extending from these three countries through Romania to Bulgaria, they are infiltrated secretly into Greece. The groups are instructed, equipped, and frequently also armed, in Bulgaria and then aided by the Bulgarian authorities to cross, and in some cases later to re-cross, the Greek-Bulgarian frontier. There has also been at least one characteristic instance of a similar group from Eastern Europe returning to Greece through Albania with the assistance of the Albanian authorities. Without such assistance from abroad the guerrilla groups now operating in the northern frontier areas of Greece could neither initiate their work nor continue to carry it out.^§§

217. The threat to the political independence and territorial integrity of Greece has thus changed in character since the retreat from Greece of the guerrilla forces in 1949. During the past year, this change has resulted in tension in the Balkans, by reason of the actively hostile attitude of certain East and Central European States towards Greece. Thus, the Special Committee has deemed it inadvisable to recommend its own dissolution.

218. It is the considered opinion of the Special Committee, based on its experience since 1947, that the constant vigilance of the United Nations with respect to the political independence and territorial integrity of Greece has been an important element in the maintenance of the peace in the Balkans. However, the situation depicted in the foregoing paragraphs constitutes a continuing threat to Greece and to peace in the Balkans, which can only be removed if the States concerned will act in their relations with Greece in accordance with the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations Charter and the recommendations of the General Assembly.

Chapter VII

recommendations

219. In the light of the evidence before it, and of the conclusions it has drawn therefrom, and reserving its right to submit either supplementary or revised recommendations prior to the convening of the sixth session of the General Assembly it deemed advisable or necessary:

The Special Committee recommends:

1. That the General Assembly re-assert the importance of maintaining peace in the Balkans, continue its efforts to eliminate the threat to Greece by considering ways and means of achieving peaceful cooperation between Greece and the States from which this threat comes, and to that end re-affirm its recommendations to the appropriate States as to

• —the cessation of all assistance or support to the Greek guerrilla movement in its activities against Greece;
• —the renewal of diplomatic and good-neighbourly relations;
• —the renewal, revision or establishment of frontier conventions;
• —the disarming and disposition of Greek guerrillas;
• —the provision of no arms and materials of war either directly or indirectly to Albania and Bulgaria until it has been determined that the unlawful assistance of these States to the Greek guerrillas has ceased;
• —the repatriation of Greek military personnel, Greek children and other Greek nationals;
• —the co-operation of the States concerned with the appropriate United Nations body, particularly as regards the prompt and impartial investigation of their complaints and allegations.

2. That the General Assembly take note of the evidence concerning the existence in Eastern and Central Europe of a network for the training and clandestine re-introduction into Greece of Greek guerrilla agents for the purpose of conducting subversive activities, espionage, sabotage, propaganda and underground reorganization of the Greek guerrilla movement in Greece in preparation for an attempt to overthrow the Greek Government by force.

3. That the General Assembly take into account the changed but continuing threat to Greece within the context of the hostile attitude towards Greece of a number of Eastern and Central European States, particularly Bulgaria, and the consequent tension in the Balkans.

4. That the General Assembly consider the advisability of maintaining United Nations vigilance over the Balkans in the light of the present nature of the threat to peace in that area.

Done at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, in the English and French languages, this fifteenth day of August, one thousand nine hundred and fifty-one.

Representative of:

Australia	John Ryan
Brazil	Galba Santos
China	Wen Yuan-Ning
France	Emile Charveriat
Mexico	Omar Josefe
Netherlands	P. C. Visser
Pakistan	Ali Haider Abbasi
Poland
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	W. L. C. Knight
United States of America	Jefferson Patterson
Principal Secretariat	Raoul Aglion

1. Report signed in Geneva, August 15, covering the period August 1, 1950, to August 1, 1951, and submitted to the Sixth Session of the United Nations General Assembly. A copy of this report was forwarded to the Department of State on August 15 by Jefferson Patterson and may be found, along with a number of despatches detailing the ongoing work of drafting the report, in file 357.AE.
2. See chapter II, paragraphs 25 to 30. [Footnote in the source text.]
3. See chapter II, paragraph 30; chapter IV, paragraphs 175–183. [Footnote in the source text.]
4. See chapter II, paragraphs 25–30. [Footnote in the source text.]
5. See chapter III, paragraphs 142–147; chapter IV, paragraphs 165–174. [Footnote in the source text.]
6. See chapter IV, paragraphs 175–183. [Footnote in the source text.]
7. See chapter IV, paragraphs 155–164. [Footnote in the source text]
8. See chapter V, paragraphs 184–203. [Footnote in the source text]
9. Ibid. [Footnote in the source text.]
10. See chapter III, paragraphs 71–152. [Footnote in the source text.]
11. Ibid. [Footnote in the source text.]
12. Ibid. [Footnote in the source text.]