October 24, 1962
Telegram from the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs to V. V. Kuznetsov on a message from U Thant
This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation
To distribute to members of the presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and to candidates for membership in the presidium.
25 October 1962 A. Gromyko
from New York 24 October 1962
URGENT
Moscow, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
To V. V. Kuznetsov
We convey the text of a telegram which I have just received from U Thant:
"I would be grateful if you would be so kind as to pass the following message on to the Chair of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union immediately: The permanent delegates of a large number of countries represented by the UN have asked me to address to you, given the current crisis situation, an urgent appeal. It is the opinion of these delegates that, in the interests of international peace and security, all interested parties must abstain from any actions that could exacerbate the situation and bring the risk of war. In their view, it is important to guarantee sufficient time for the interested parties to prepare for a peaceable resolution of the current crisis, and for a normalization of the situation in the Caribbean basin. This requires, in part, a voluntary suspension of quarantines for the inspection of ships bound for Cuba. In my view, this voluntary suspension of such actions for a period of two or three weeks will significantly relieve the situation, and will provide time for the interested parties to meet and conduct discussions to find a peaceful solution to the problem. With all this in mind, I willingly put myself at the disposal of all parties for any services I am able to perform. I urgently appeal to Your Excellency to give this message immediate consideration. I have sent a similar message to the president of the United States of America.
U Thant
Acting Secretary General
of the UN."
Bureau of Translations ZORIN
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, USSR, 25.X.62
The Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs relayed a message from U Thant: The delegates of a large number of countries urged the involved parties to restrain from any actions that can exacerbate the situation. They also called for a voluntary suspension of quarantines for the inspection of ships bound for Cuba.
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