Office of the Historian

486. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State1

Moscow, July 22, 1956—5 p.m.

181. Embtel 176.2 While Shepilov did not make any flat statement on subject, further conversations with correspondents who heard his remarks concerning Aswan Dam were left very definitely [Page 880] with impression that Soviet Government was not at least at this time planning to undertake financing this project.

He was quite explicit, however, in his statements that industrialization was much more important to Egyptian development than Aswan Dam, and that Soviet Union was prepared to give favorable consideration to any Egyptian request for assistance in industrial development.

Bohlen
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 874.2614/7–2256. Official Use Only. Received at 12:09 a.m. Repeated to London and Cairo.↩
  2. Telegram 176 from Moscow, July 21, reads as follows:

    “Shepilov at Belgian Embassy National Day reception this evening was questioned by correspondents on Aswan Dam. He said question not ‘actual’ but on problem of industrialization, which most important to Egypt, Soviet Government was prepared to be of help.” (Ibid., 874.2614/7–2156)

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