Telegram from the Brazilian Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly, New York, New York, 7:30 p.m., Friday

SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS

TELEGRAM

RECEIVED

13383

FROM THE DELEGATION OF BRAZIL AT THE XVII SESSION OF THE GENERAL-ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITED NATIONS—NEW YORK

ON/9/9/XI/62

SECRET

DAC/DAS/DNU/DEA/DOr/600.(24h)

Question of Cuba. Russian-American negotiations.

144 – FRIDAY – 1930hs – [Soviet deputy foreign minister Vasily] Kuznetsov invited me today for a conversation in the headquarters of the Soviet Mission. There he appeared with Ambassador Silos and we heard from the Soviet Vice-Minister the following: he wanted to inform us about the development of the Russian-American negotiations on the Cuban case. He considered that they have arrived to a deadlock in virtue of the Soviets having complied with the obligations assumed by Prime Minister Khrushchev without the North-Americans having complied with the commitment relative to the guarantees of non-invasion of Cuba. According to Kuznetsov, the American insistence on the question of inspection is becoming moot [ociosa] since the United States has declared satisfaction with the removal of offensive material existing in Cuba, it is only a pretext to postpone indefinitely the commitment of non-invasion and suspension of the economic blockade against Cuba. [Ajuntou] considered a delicate situation because in brief the Soviet Union is not able to accept more indeterminate prolongation and there are risks of “the situation becoming worse than it was before.” He observed that it was a moment for peaceful and prestigious countries like Brazil to reflect about this and offer suggestions in this respect. He praised highly the efforts of non-aligned countries in the Geneva Conference, especially of Brazil, and the peaceful initiatives of our Government in the Cuban crisis. I have the impression that the Soviet Minister insinuated our manifestation in the sense of exposing to the Washington government our disquiet faced with the possibility of a return of the crisis that was so difficult to surmount. By the way of the situation in Cuba I am able to inform Your Excellency that there are already various signs in the sense of compliance by the North American government of the promise relative to the non-invasion of Cuba and the suspension of the coercive measures against that country. In a meeting with a Latin American group, [US Ambassador to the United Nations Adlai E.] Stevenson alluded to the possibility of the Organization of American States to meet and, having verified the compliance of the commitment of the Soviet Union and the Cuban Government, to suspend the coercive measures taken in the last meeting of Consultation of the Chancellors. Stevenson alluded equally “to the return of Cuba to the American family.” In another meeting, with European delegates, Stevenson repeated his previous declarations and, according to what I collected from various sources, had even referred to the reestablishment of economic help to the Cuban government. These declarations transpired this morning and were commented on in private conversations by various correspondents accredited to the United Nations.

AFRONSO ARINOS DE MELLO FRANCO