121. Letter From Romanian President Ceausescu to President Reagan1
I appeal to you again in connection with the plans to deploy in the near future new American missiles of medium range in certain western European countries and with regard to the American-Soviet negotiations now going on in Geneva.
[Page 338]Deeply concerned by the prospect of an intensification of the arms race and the increasing danger of war, the Romanian people and the other European peoples, through large demonstrations that have taken place and are now developing in Europe and other continents, are demanding with ever-increasing resolution that everything be done to reach an appropriate understanding ensuring a halt to the deployment of new missiles and the withdrawal and destruction of existing ones.
I consider that it is now possible and imperative to take all measures required to reach a proper understanding in the framework of American-Soviet negotiations in Geneva.
The proposals advanced by the United States of America, as well as those presented by the Soviet Union, including those set forth by the President of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in the interview published in Pravda on October 27 this year, offer a good basis for reaching an agreement in the framework of the Geneva negotiations.
The fact that both sides recognize that nuclear arms constitute a serious threat to human existence and declare in one form or another that they are in favor of halting and reducing nuclear armaments and continuing the Geneva negotiations proves that it is possible through joint efforts to reach an agreement in the American-Soviet negotiations at Geneva.
Even though not all problems will be resolved at this stage and even though some solutions will not be perfect, the essential point is to reach an understanding providing for a halt to the deployment of new American missiles and the withdrawal and destruction of Soviet missiles—all or most of them—with the other aspects to be solved in other stages, in the framework of an agreement on the general balance of forces between the two sides. In this way it might be agreed that the French and British missiles, all nuclear arms, and the means of transporting them are to be included in the general balance of forces between the two sides and be the subject of later negotiations in which France and Great Britain would participate.
In this connection I should like to emphasize that by the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons2 the parties undertook to “prevent wider dissemination of nuclear weapons” and “not to transfer to anyone” or “not to accept from anyone direct or indirect transfer of nuclear weapons or devices.” Consequently, the deployment of new missiles in certain Western and Eastern European countries actually [Page 339] means a violation of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, would create an exceedingly dangerous precedent, and would stimulate other countries to take action in order to obtain deployment of such weapons on their territory. What is more, the deployment of new missiles on German territory, from where the two world conflagrations originated, would transform this territory into a strong arsenal of nuclear arms that could endanger the peace and life of the peoples on the continent.
Precisely for these reasons and in the spirit of the message conveyed to you on August 22 this year,3 I appeal again to the United States of America to do everything possible to reach an agreement leading to cessation of the deployment of new medium-range missiles or at least postponement of their deployment till the end of 1984 or the beginning of 1985 and continuation during that interval of Soviet-American negotiations, with the Soviet Union no longer deploying new missiles and—in conformity with its declarations—reducing a quantity of existing missiles.
In presenting these proposals on behalf of the Romanian people and on my own behalf, I express the conviction that you [and] the United States of America will act so that the Geneva negotiations will bring about an understanding leading to cessation of the deployment of missiles and achievement of a balance between the two parties at the lowest possible level, by a reduction—not an increase—in the nuclear arsenals on the continent. This would be in keepiong with the interests and aspirations of the European peoples and the American people, would enhance peace and security in Europe and in the world and strengthen international cooperation.
With high consideration,
- Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Head of State File, Romania: President Ceausescu (8107462–8202662). No classification marking. Printed from a translation prepared in the Division of Language Services, Department of State. All brackets are in the original.↩
- See Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. E–2, Documents on Arms Control and Nonproliferation, 1969–1972, Document 46.↩
- Presumably a reference to Document 118.↩
- Printed from a translation that indicates that Ceausescu signed the original.↩