Office of the Historian

417. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Czechoslovakia and the Mission to the United Nations1

232325.
Washington, July 28, 1987, 2318Z

SUBJECT

  • Simons Meeting With Ambassador Houstecky.
1.
(Confidential—Entire text)
2.
During their July 23 meeting, Ambassador Houstecky delivered to Deputy Assistant Secretary Simons a second draft of a Czech UN resolution (approved by the Warsaw Pact), titled “Comprehensive System of International Peace and Security.”2 This draft was noteworthy for its inclusion of environmental concerns along with military, economic and humanitarian issues. Houstecky voiced the GOC’s displeasure over President Reagan’s Captive Nations proclamation3 and [Page 1363] Czech-American Heritage Week statement,4 both of which he considered offensive to Czechoslovak independence. Simons said US did indeed consider Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia to have been brutal, unnatural act, but took note of Houstecky’s objection.
3.
Houstesky read a long segment from the draft resolution and stressed his country’s interest in political means to safeguard peace and security. He noted that the Warsaw Treaty nations had held consultations on this during their recent meeting in East Berlin.5 Simons said that the proposal would be reviewed but voiced skepticism on its being supported by the US. He noted, however, the novelty of including environmental issues with the familiar four elements (political, military, economic, and humanitarian) of new international security concept being promoted by USSR and its allies, and asked if this was a change in the socialist countries’ previous positions. Houstecky confirmed this was indeed new element. Simons said US shared concerns about environmental issues, and touched on the environmental problem created by brown coal in east Central Europe. Houstecky said problem extended beyond brown coal, but affirmed area governments, including Czechoslovak, were working hard on it.
4.
Houstecky referred to President Reagan’s proclamations concerning captive nations and Czechoslovak-American Heritage Week. He condemned the inference that Czechs are seeking better human rights, stressing that Czechoslovakia is a free country with independent policies. He compared the insensitivity of these statements to President Reagan’s visit to the West German cemetery at Bitburg. Simons replied that the Captive Nations document is a familiar one and has been issued every year since the 1950’s, reflecting the US Government and American peoples’ concern over the unnatural division of Europe.
Shultz
  1. Source: Department of State, Records from Ambassador Thomas W. Simons, Jr., Lot 03 D 256, Chron July 1987. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by B Foerster (EUR/EEY); cleared by Perito, Simons, and Walter Manger (IO); approved by Wenick.↩
  2. A/RES/42/93.↩
  3. Proclamation 5680 was issued on July 17. For the text, see Public Papers: Reagan, 1987, Book II, pp. 843–844.↩
  4. Proclamation 5682 was issued on July 20. For the text, see ibid., pp. 850–851.↩
  5. May 28–29.↩