Journal of Soviet Ambassador to the DPRK V. I. Ivanov for 12 December 1955

SOVIET EMBASSY IN THE DPRK        

Secret

Copy Nº 3

[USSR MFA Far East Department stamp:

[[4865]]s

31 Dec 55]

JOURNAL

OF SOVIET AMBASSADOR IN THE DPRK Cde. V. I. IVANOV

for the period from 4 through 15 December

1955

Pyongyang 1955

01263

[…]

12 December

I received Chinese Ambassador Pan Zili. The latter reported that on 9 December he had received a telegram from his government that the Swedish and Swiss governments had informed the Chinese government of their proposals to reorganize the Neutral Armistice Supervisory Commission in Korea.

Pan Zili pointed out that on 3 November that Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Unden had informed Zhou Enlai, and on 25 November the Swiss representative [had informed] the Chinese envoy about their proposals on this issue. He said that the Swiss government does not plan to withdraw from participation in the Neutral Commission inasmuch as, in the opinion of the Swiss government, it benefits the maintenance of peace in Korea. However, the position of the Commission should correspond to the work which it performs. Like the Swedes, they consider their proposals useful. If they are not accepted they will leave the Neutral Commission or the US and South Korea will take steps to abolish this Commission.

He expressed satisfaction that mutual understanding with representatives of the military authorities of North Korea is satisfactory, but it is hard to perform work because of insufficient monitoring abilities and numerous restrictions.

Then he pointed to the fact that it is necessary to think so that the membership of the Neutral Commission is an odd number so that decisions can be made.

The Commission also should have more rights so that it can take certain steps and have a practical opportunity to implement them.

Then Pan Zili reported that the PRC government was studying these proposals of the Swedish and Swiss governments and not yet informed him of their own proposals. In reply to my question, how does he regard these steps, Pan Zili replied that he thinks that one could examine the issue of some reduction of the personnel of the Neutral Commission in order to ensure unanimity of the sides in the Commission, without bothering and without violating the international agreements on the basis of which the Neutral Commission exists. I agreed with this, saying that this is my personal opinion.

Pan Zili reported that he will also visit Nam Il and pass him the substance of the question reported to me.

[…]

SOVIET AMBASSADOR IN THE DPRK [signature] (V. IVANOV)

Four copies

1 - Cde. Molotov

2 - Cde. Fedorenko

3 - Cde. Kurdyukov

4 - to file

Drafted by Ivanov

Printed M/B [SIC]

Nº 854

21 December 1955