Agreement for Support of the Security Services of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam

Berlin, 6 December 1971

Agreed

[Mielke's Signature]

Colonel General

Support for the security services of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam

1. Deliveries through the foreign trade institutions of the GDR as part of the intergovernmental agreement

The order list that was given to the foreign trade firm Invest Export on 9 January 1971 by the foreign trade representation of the DRV was refined and revised by the MfS [Ministry of State Security].

For 1972, the equipment in line with the expected MfS deliveries amounts to:

approx. 50,000 Rubles

Further deliveries necessary to realize the present order list will be effected in 1973.

In the order lists, a number of points included devices that are imported from the non-socialist and socialist economic territories. It is proposed:

a) to finance a number of devices from the non-socialist economic region through the MfS of East Germany and deliver them directly to the Vietnamese side (see point 2, proposals for direct assistance) and:

b) to ask the Vietnamese comrades to consult directly, for the purposes of delivering equipment and other facilities, with the socialist brother lands, specifically the Hungarian People's Republic and the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.

The Vietnamese side has prepared supplementary lists, regarding these it was recommended to the Vietnamese comrades that these lists be submitted directly to the foreign trade firm Invest Export. For our part it [we] will contribute technical clarifications on specific questions.

As a special problem in the context of commercial delivery, the question of the delivery of a small paper mill was addressed. For this, the following state was reached:

In meetings of the Vietnamese comrades at VEB PAMA Freiburg and in the VVB pulp / paper Heidenau all technical questions were clarified. The Vietnamese comrades have given a complete order to the foreign trade firm Invest Export. Currently the clarification of configuration options for a factory building are being ensured. Decisions regarding final inclusions in the delivery lists of our foreign trade service shall be made by joint leadership commission of the GDR/Vietnam.(Head of the GDR-side: Dr. Weiss,: Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers). The delivery and installation of this factory should take place beyond the current state in 1973 and 1974.

For our part it is necessary to grant technical support in the course of further development of the project and other components.

2. Direct Assistance

The Vietnamese comrades have submitted a wish list of direct deliveries for the support of the MfS of the DRV. This list was thorough worked through and it can be determined that we, with very few exceptions, have made allowances for wishes of the Vietnamese comrades.

The value of this delivery totals:

222,000 - M and

160.000, - DM/DBB

According to point 1 of this memorandum it is proposed to provide, in addition to the equipment from the wishlist, equipment from the non-socialist economic areas valued at:

10.000, - DM/DBB

and to provide according to the delivery possibilities for the above three partial components

It is proposed to realize this wish list in 3 partial deliveries on the following dates:

    1. Partial delivery July / August 1972

    2. "January / February 1973

    3. "June / July 1973

It is proposed at the same time for all commercial equipment, components, and facilities to be transported by ship so long as they have an appropriate scale and for all operational and technical equipment and devices to be transported in diplomatic satchels to the comrades of the embassy.

3. Problems of Work in the field of documentation

For this problem area, a copy of the newly launched South Vietnamese identity card was given to the Vietnamese side. The Vietnamese comrade expressed a request for help them in the development of technological instructions and other materials to counterfeit these documents.

It is estimated that this document is in accordance with the latest procedures and technologies, specifically of American origin, and is manufactured with numerous safeguards. Conducted material analyzes have shown that the document has been coated with a special foil, which is not produced in the GDR and therefore must be imported from West Germany or the United States. Methods of procuring a specimen of the foil have been initiated and the samples are expected to be available beginning in mid-December. It is envisaged after completion of all investigations, to develop a technology for the production of the document and the same for the Vietnamese comrades, as long as the necessary amount of foil and dyestuffs in the first quarter of 1972 are available.