Journal of Soviet Ambassador Puzanov, Memorandum of Conversation with Hafizullah Amin and Delegation of the Soviet Academy of Sciences

From the journal of A.M. Puzanov

Record of Conversation with the Secretary of the PDPA Central Committee, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan Hafizullah Amin

July 11, 1978

I visited H. Amin at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and introduced to him the delegation from the USSR Academy of Sciences, headed by the President of the Academy of Sciences of the Tajik SSR, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences M.S. Asimov. The delegation arrived in Afghanistan for talks on Soviet-Afghan scientific cooperation.

At the beginning of the meeting, H. Amin welcomed the Soviet delegation to revolutionary Afghanistan and said that the Saur Revolution has become a moment of pride not only for the Afghan people, but for the people of other nations as well. It was the product of the Great October Socialist Revolution and is an example for many countries. We have always found inspiration in the October Revolution and many Afghan revolutionaries were raised on the works of the great Lenin.

Focusing on Soviet-Afghan relations, H. Amin said that in the course of the realization of the April revolution and afterwards, we have always been very sincere and close with our Soviet friends, who give us their full support and assistance. The Soviet embassy always helps us in times of trouble, and this is key to the victory of our revolution. The cooperation between our countries in the field of science and culture, H. Amin continued, will have a major impact on all aspects of Afghan society. From the first days of the creation of our party we have said that the experience of the Soviet Union is one of the main conditions of our success, and we consider it a great honor to be able to reply on the experience of our Soviet friends. Even though Afghanistan is a small country, we have a lot of talent and items of cultural value; each ethnic group in our country has a rich history and culture. An important goal of the revolution is unite all the peoples and all the material and cultural resources for the victory of the revolution. For this, we have to actively promote research and [missing line] Soviet Union’s space exploration was carried out on a strictly scientific basis, the same in our country – all plans and programs have to be strictly scientific and realistic. If we in some case we take on fantastic, unrealistic project, both sides will bear responsibility for it.

In response, the head of the Soviet delegation congratulated H. Amin with the victory of the April Revolution and briefly spoke about the purpose of the Soviet scientists’ visit: to become acquainted with the state of scientific research in the DRA, to establish closer contacts with Afghan scholars, and to make plans for future cooperation and to invite Afghan scholars to visit the Soviet Union.

H. Amin promised to render maximum assistance to the Soviet delegation and said in conclusion: “We have no secrets from our Soviet friends, because we always sought to teach the members of our party the four basic qualities: patriotism, Marxism, Sovietism, and internationalism.”

The Soviet ambassador thanked H. Amin for meeting with the Soviet delegation and said that the Soviet scientists’ visit to the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan is further evidence of the growing friendship between the Soviet and Afghan people. Undoubtedly, the talks that the delegations will hold in Kabul will open new avenues in diversifying Soviet-Afghan cooperation, taking the impetus from the victory of the April revolution.

USSR Ambassador in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan,

A. Puzanov

[Signed