302. Letter From Secretary of State Dulles to Prime Minister Macmillan0
Dear Harold: I very much appreciated your message which Harold Caccia delivered to me on January 17,1 outlining the encouraging developments which have taken place with respect to Cyprus since the United Nations debate and the further steps which your Government may decide to take in proceeding with the arrangements envisaged under the interim plan.
We too have been heartened to see the Greeks and Turks at last sitting down with each other and trying to reach a basis of agreement. I can understand the difficult decisions which you have to make in balancing the possible gains to be achieved from uninterrupted Greek-Turkish talks against the obligation you feel, in the absence of any foreseeable agreement, to continue with the interim plan.
I doubt that the Greeks and Turks would be able to achieve an agreement sufficiently broad to warrant expanded talks with your Government without lengthy bargaining and a number of ups and downs. Misunderstandings and doubts are bound to arise, but they need not [Page 760] prove fatal if the will to achieve a settlement is strong enough. We are, of course, willing, when and where we appropriately can, to encourage mutual good will and confidence among the interested parties, as well as an understanding of the difficulties which each of you faces in arriving at an agreed solution.
Faithfully yours,
- Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204. Confidential. A notation on the source text reads: “Secretary handed letter to Ambassador Caccia 1/21/59.”↩
- Document 301.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this stamped signature.↩