Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Eastern Europe; Finland; Greece; Turkey, Volume X, Part 2

40. Memorandum of Conversation⁰

Washington, April 8, 1960.

SUBJECT

• Courtesy Call on the Under Secretary by the Bulgarian Minister¹

PARTICIPANTS

• The Under Secretary
• Dr. Peter G. Voutov, Bulgarian Minister
• Mr. Clement E. Conger, U/PR
• Mr. Moncrieff J. Spear, EE

After expressing his pleasure at being in the United States, Dr. Voutov described at some length his rather extensive travels throughout the United States. Mr. Dillon said he hoped that some of Dr. Voutov’s colleagues in the Bulgarian Government would also have an opportunity to get acquainted with this country.

Dr. Voutov then replied that after his travels he was now ready to settle down to work on the problems between the United States and Bulgaria. In this connection, he was aware of Mr. Dillon’s particular interest in economic matters and it was his hope that it would be possible to negotiate the outstanding claims between Bulgaria and the United States in order to facilitate an expansion of trade between the two countries. The discussion turned at this point to a review of the various commodities involved in US-Bulgarian trade.

Dr. Voutov next referred to his calls on some of the cabinet officers, and he reported that Secretary of Agriculture Benson had expressed a hope to visit Bulgaria this summer in order to study the Bulgarian cooperative movement.² In conclusion, Dr. Voutov said that he would be returning to Sofia for three months’ leave and consultation in June.

0. Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D199. Official Use Only. Drafted by Moncrieff J. Spear and approved by McKisson and in U by Robert C. Brewster, Dillon’s Special Assistant, on April 11.
1. Voutov, who was appointed Minister of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, presented his credentials to President Eisenhower on January 15.
2. No records of Voutov’s calls on Cabinet officers have been found in Department of State files. Telegram 59 from Sofia, March 24, noted Bulgarian press reports of Voutov’s conversations with Cabinet officers Mueller, Benson, and Flemming. In telegram 26 to Sofia, March 28, the Department of State replied that Voutov’s calls on the Secretaries of Agriculture and Commerce were strictly courtesy visits. In a March 15 protocol call at HEW, Voutov expressed to Secretary Flemming his interest in a visit to the National Institutes of Health and his hope for exchanges in the fields of health, education, and welfare. The telegram stated that Flemming made no commitment and noted that formal negotiations for exchanges should be handled through diplomatic channels. Copies of these telegrams are in Department of State, Central Files, 511.69/3–2460.