Aldo Moro’s Notes on Letter no. 61

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

MINISTER’S OFFICE

Photocopy to:

1. Secretariat General
2. Directorate General of Political Affairs

November 17, 1969

The Honorable Minister has noted:

"The arguments are compelling. I suspect that the second formula will be needed (and it will not be enough), considering China's intransigence, as also witnessed in Ottawa. How will we maintain our majority, taking into account not the Communists or Socialists, but Mr. Nenni personally? In fact, as noted by Malfatti, the formula dictated by Mr. Nenni granted everything the Chinese asked for, except for specifying who should say what and how. This is what the dispute is centered on. We need to see whether it is a matter simply of saying, or of doing (breaking off relations with Taiwan and voting for the Albanian motion) (already promised - and still upheld - by Mr. Nenni). Under these conditions, coming at the end of all attempts along the first and second line, a procedure (to be proposed by the Ministry and approved by the Prime Minister) along the following lines could indeed be imagined:  

l) Agreement according to the French formula.

2) Exchange of minutes of the unilateral statements by both sides that will follow.

3) Italian formulation. A sentence that reproduces the official communiqué and one that states that Italy will break off, following recognition (and the exchange of ambassadors?), relations with Taiwan and will support the Albanian motion at the UN in the future (as is presumable). In other words, stating what will inevitably be done, without formal recognition or acknowledgement of territorial claims.

MORO