Cryptogram No 10456 from Polish Embassy in Bucharest, Ambassador Ochęduszko's Meeting with the Soviet Ambassador

Bucharest, 28 August 1968

Cryptogram No 10456

from Bucharest

Com. Kruczkowski

Com. Ochęduszko informs in his telegram No 328 dated 27^th this month:

I/ From the ambassador of the USSR: on the 25th of this month he held a conversation with Ceausescu, / this has been the fourth meeting recently/ submitting a reply of the Central Committee to the Central Committee of the RCP Statement after arrival of the troops' of the “5"to Czechoslovakia. It was a presentation of the position of the USSR, in which the Soviet Ambassador expressed dissatisfaction with the Romanian press releases and opinions on Czechoslovakia. Ceausescu insisted that military intervention was a mistake, referring to Marx and Lenin and thought that a different solution to the problem of Czechoslovakia could have been found. He stressed that his goal was sovereignty, unity and friendship with the Soviet Union and other socialist countries. He suggested a meeting with Soviet leaders to clarify each other’s positions, since only direct and honest conversation can lead to this. He also informed him that during the talks with [Ota] Šik nothing should be done without Svoboda's participation to avoid moving the matter to the United Nations or asking the government in exile for participation. After the visit, Ceaușescu called a meeting of the Central Committee and on the next day Niculescu-Mizil presented the Ambassador a response of the Central Committee, written in the same spirit in which Ceaușescu spoke. It mentioned only the differences in assessment of the Czechoslovakia events between Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Romanian Communist Party, without referring to  the "intervention" and proposed a meeting between representatives of both parties.  As I understand, this proposal, according to the Ambassador, should meet with a positive response.

II/ On my part I would like to add that the visit has changed the tone of the press, radio and television commentaries as well as public addresses. Maurer and Ceausescu emphasized in their speeches /[in] Brașov/ that disagreements among socialist countries weaken socialist parties and countries in their struggle against imperialism and that Romania will do everything to strengthen the unity of the parties in the socialist camp.