January 30, 1958
Deputy Minister Winiewicz, 'Record of Conversation with the Ambassador of Bulgaria on the 30th of this Month'
This document was made possible with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)
47
January 30, deputy minister Winiewicz’s record of conversation
with the ambassador of Bulgaria on Bulgarian disarmament proposals
Warsaw, Jan. 30, 1958
Top secret
Record
of conversation with the ambassador of Bulgaria
on the 30th of this month
This morning of Bulgaria comrade Boyev requested to see me re a very urgent matter. I could not see him until 3.30 p.m. Reading from a piece of paper, he communicated:
His government intends to propose an accord between Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Italy re ban on the stationing of thermonuclear weapons and the constructions of missile launchers on the territory of those states. His government asks if the PRP* government has any remarks regarding this proposal. The proposal is to be initiated by the governments of Bulgaria and Albania. It was agreed upon with the governments of Albania and the USSR. (Boyev put a special emphasis on the latter).
I replied that I need to put the matter to our Leadership.5[1]7 To this Boyev replied that the Bulgarian government wants a very speedy answer, tomorrow morning at the latest if possible. My interlocutor was clearly agitated and would not engage in any discussion, saying that he already had urging telephone calls from Sofia. I inferred that the Bulgarians are working on the communiqué to be released tomorrow or Saturday.
I informed comrades Cyrankiewicz and Rapacki. Rapacki’s position transmitted over the telephone reads: “I am of the opinion that we should reply the Bulgarians at a time that they specified, today. The reply is, obviously, negative. We consider their proposal premature. Their action now would be highly detrimental to our proposal and no less detrimental to their own. It would harm the common interests of our camp. Our failure to reply before the Bulgarian proposal is announced, could be constructed and used as our silent consent.”
In accordance with what comrade Cyrankiewicz said, I await instructions of our Leadership.
/–/ Winiewicz
AMSZ, z. 23, w. 14, t. 163
57 See doc. no 51.
Winiewicz discusses the Bulgarian proposal for a ban on thermonuclear weapons between Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Italy, and the subsequent negative Polish response.
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