From the Journal of I.S. Shcherbakov, 'Record of a Conversation with Nguyen Duy Trinh, VWP CC Politburo member and Secretary, and DRV Minister of Foreign Affairs, 17 April 1969'

FROM THE JOURNAL

OF I. S. SHCHERBAKOV

[stamp: Vietnam] [faded stamp: CPSU CC 14686, 6 MAY 1969]

Secret Copy Nº 1

21 April 1969

Outgoing Nº 222

RECORD OF A CONVERSATION

with Nguyen Duy Trinh, VWP CC Politburo member and Secretary, and DRV Minister of Foreign Affairs

17 April 1969

I was received by Nguyen Duy Trinh (we asked for a meeting with Le Duan, but we were informed that he could [not] receive the Soviet ambassador and charged Nguyen Duy Trinh with doing this).

We asked about the health of Cde. Le Duan. Nguyen Duy Trinh replied that Le Duan is indisposed.

In accordance with Moscow’s instructions we presented the content of the letter of Cde. L. I. Brezhnev to Cdes. Ho Chi Minh and Le Duan, delivered the text, and asked that the letter be sent on as addressed.

We tried to prompt Nguyen Duy Trinh to a conversation on the Chinese question. [We] declared that if the 9^th CPC Congress adopted an anti-Soviet program, then probably new provocations can be expected on the border, too. I directed the interlocutor’s attention to the fact that after the 29 March statement of the Soviet government a note was sent to the Chinese which contained a proposal to continue the consultations on border questions begun in 1964. I stressed that the aforementioned measures by the USSR demonstrate that the Soviet Union is doing everything that depends on it so that the border incidents are not repeated.

Nguyen Duy Trinh promised to pass on the letter as addressed but avoided a conversation.

Then, at the instructions of Moscow Informed Nguyen Duy Trinh about the meetings of the Working Group and the Preparatory Commission of the International Conference of Communist and Worker’s Parties held in Moscow from 10 to 23 March of this year.

[stamp at the bottom of the first page]:

The material is informative

the CPSU CC Department has been familiarized [with it]

[illegible signature]

Sector chief (B. [Kumik])

15D/5.23 May 1969

[illegible signature]

[illegible writing in the bottom

left-hand corner]

Nguyen Duy Trinh did not outwardly display interest in this question (although later the interpreter asked to clarify some sentences of the information presented by us).

In reply to our question, does the interlocutor have anything to ask or tell us about the questions raised Nguyen Duy Trinh briefly replied that he “is not prepared”  for a conversation on these questions.

[Trinh Trang], desk officer of the VWP CC Department of Foreign Relations and L. Kleymenov, Embassy interpreter, were present at the conversation.

SOVIET AMBASSADOR IN THE DRV
[signature]

(I. SHCHERBAKOV)

One copy printed

1– the CPSU CC Department

2 – OYuVA  

3 – to file

MP Nº 515

20 April 1969

tb

[handwritten: 460-[[ls]]

FROM THE JOURNAL

OF I. S. SHCHERBAKOV

[stamp: Vietnam] [faded stamp: CPSU CC 14686, 6 MAY 1969]

Secret Copy Nº 1

21 April 1969

Outgoing Nº 222

RECORD OF A CONVERSATION

with Nguyen Duy Trinh, VWP CC Politburo member and Secretary, and DRV Minister of Foreign Affairs

17 April 1969

I was received by Nguyen Duy Trinh (we asked for a meeting with Le Duan, but we were informed that he could [not] receive the Soviet ambassador and charged Nguyen Duy Trinh with doing this).

We asked about the health of Cde. Le Duan. Nguyen Duy Trinh replied that Le Duan is indisposed.

In accordance with Moscow’s instructions we presented the content of the letter of Cde. L. I. Brezhnev to Cdes. Ho Chi Minh and Le Duan, delivered the text, and asked that the letter be sent on as addressed.

We tried to prompt Nguyen Duy Trinh to a conversation on the Chinese question. [We] declared that if the 9^th CPC Congress adopted an anti-Soviet program, then probably new provocations can be expected on the border, too. I directed the interlocutor’s attention to the fact that after the 29 March statement of the Soviet government a note was sent to the Chinese which contained a proposal to continue the consultations on border questions begun in 1964. I stressed that the aforementioned measures by the USSR demonstrate that the Soviet Union is doing everything that depends on it so that the border incidents are not repeated.

Nguyen Duy Trinh promised to pass on the letter as addressed but avoided a conversation.

Then, at the instructions of Moscow Informed Nguyen Duy Trinh about the meetings of the Working Group and the Preparatory Commission of the International Conference of Communist and Worker’s Parties held in Moscow from 10 to 23 March of this year.

[stamp at the bottom of the first page]:

The material is informative

the CPSU CC Department has been familiarized [with it]

[illegible signature]

Sector chief (B. [Kumik])

15D/5.23 May 1969

[illegible signature]

[illegible writing in the bottom

left-hand corner]

Nguyen Duy Trinh did not outwardly display interest in this question (although later the interpreter asked to clarify some sentences of the information presented by us).

In reply to our question, does the interlocutor have anything to ask or tell us about the questions raised Nguyen Duy Trinh briefly replied that he “is not prepared”  for a conversation on these questions.

[Trinh Trang], desk officer of the VWP CC Department of Foreign Relations and L. Kleymenov, Embassy interpreter, were present at the conversation.

SOVIET AMBASSADOR IN THE DRV
[signature]

(I. SHCHERBAKOV)

One copy printed

1– the CPSU CC Department

2 – OYuVA  

3 – to file

MP Nº 515

20 April 1969

tb

[handwritten: 460-[[ls]]