TELEGRAM 066.609 from the Romanian Embassy in Pyongyang to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

TELEGRAM 066.609

To: the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (to the First and Second Directorates)

From: the Romanian Embassy in Pyongyang

Date: April 3^rd, 1978

Classification: Secret

Referring to the visit to India of the Korean governmental delegation, led by Gang Ryang-uk, the Vice-President of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (which took place between March 12^th-17^th) Davinder Singh, the First Secretary of the Indian Embassy in Pyongyang, said in a discussion with Victor Nanu which took place on April 2^nd, that the visit took place at the insistent request of the Koreans.

D. Singh said that the Indian figures with whom the Korean dignitary held conversations did not ultimately understand the reason of [Gang Ryang-uk’s] visit to New Delhi. He did not bring up any political problems, or of other nature, for whose resolution the Koreans needed the help of the Indian government.

During the meetings, the two sides exchanged opinions and information regarding the bilateral collaboration, but nothing precise or related to multilateral cooperation within the Non-Aligned Movement.

Moreover, Gang Ryang-uk presented the well-known position of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea regarding the problem of the unification of the country. The Indian Prime-Minister replied that his government shares this position and supports the cause of the Korean people.

On a certain occasion, [Morarji] Desai presented the Indian position on the Kashmir issue. In this context he said that “the Korean problems should be solved by Koreans and the Indian problems by Indians”, D.Singh mentioned that Morarji Desai, through his last statement, made reference to the fact that [several] Korean figures, in their conversations with the Pakistanis ex-Prime-Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, on the occasion of his visit to Pyongyang in 1976, would have declared that he supports the position of the Pakistan government on the Kashmir problem.

We would like to add that there was no mention in materials published in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, that North Korea supported Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, and that, at the time, such version circulated within the diplomatic corps.

Signed

Victor Nanu