Journal Entry of Ambassador Volkov: A Conversation with Subandrio

USSR EMBASSY IN INDONESIA

From the journal of
RM. VOLKOV

RECORD OF CONVERSATION
with Minister of Foreign Affairs SUBANDRIO
15 December 1958

TOP SECRET

Copy #1

Iskh. #253
[??] December 1958

Today at 12.30 by my request I was received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Subandrio.

I announced to Subandrio that in connection with the economic conference of Asian and African countries, which took place in Cairo on 8-11 December, I have been instructed to inform Him of the following:

"According to our information, the Indonesian delegation taking part in this conference had taken actions toward the Soviet Union that are incompatible with the friendly relations that exist between Indonesia and the Soviet Union. Certain proposals of the Indonesian delegation were also directed against the PRC.

"On the eve of the opening of the conference, during the meeting of the preparatory committee, the Indonesian delegation demanded removal from the conference of the so-called non-Asian countries and the inclusion of representatives from the Chiang Kai-shek clique. On the day of the opening of the conference, 8 December, the Indonesian delegation distributed a written statement among the conference participants regarding this question and arranged a press conference during which it announced that the preparatory committee had improperly invited the Soviet Union to the conference, since it is not an Asian country.

"Further, in the course of the conference itself, at the meeting of committee #1 on the question of economic cooperation of Afro-Asian countries, chaired by an Indonesian representative, during the speech by the head of the Soviet delegation, the committee chair tried to stop the Soviet representative from explaining his position on the question discussed.

"In light of the above, I have been instructed to express bewilderment regarding the unfriendly position taken by the Indonesian representatives towards the Soviet delegation during the said conference, and express the hope that the Indonesian government will direct attention to these facts, bearing in mind the friendly nature of relations between the Soviet Union and Indonesia"

Subandrio expressed regret and said that the position taken by the Indonesian delegation at the economic conference of Asian and African countries does not correspond with the perspective of the Indonesian government and its actions were incorrect. "The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already demanded an explanation from the Indonesian embassy in Cairo and, following an investigation of this matter, it will take necessary actions of which the Soviet ambassador will be informed."

Subandrio said that the newspaper the "Times of Indonesia," which picked up the announcement of the Indonesian delegation at the economic conference in Cairo and published an article unfriendly towards the Soviet Union and the U.A.R., has already been closed by the government. He emphasized that all measures will be taken in order to repair this regrettable misunderstanding and expressed the hope that it will not harm the good relations between our two countries.

Present at the meeting was 2nd embassy secretary, comr. Yu.A. Sholmov.

USSR AMBASSADOR TO INDONESIA
[signature]
(B. VOLKOV)