Andrei Gromyko, Note to the CPSU CC

Secret Copy Nº 1

[stamp:

CPSU CC

11708

1968

1^st Sector]

to the CPSU CC 

In connection with the conclusion of the discussion of the draft nuclear weapons non-proliferation treaty in the Committee of 18 Countries on Disarmament and the upcoming consideration of the report of this Committee at the 22^nd UN General Assembly session, the resumption of which is set for April of this year, in the opinion of the USSR MFA it would be advisable to take steps with the goal of ensuring the greatest possible support for the treaty at the session and the agreement of the broadest number of countries. For these purposes before the resumption of the General Assembly session [we] ought to pursue work with representatives of non-nuclear countries to explain the importance of the nuclear weapons non-proliferation treaty and the position of the Soviet Union on this question, and call upon them to support the non-proliferation treaty and sign it. 

It would be advisable to send special representatives to the countries having the most importance from the point of view of the importance of their agreement with the treaty or their influence on other countries, and also to the countries which express various reservations and comments on the draft treaty (India, Japan, Italy, Pakistan, Sweden, and some others) to hold appropriate conversations with the leaders of these countries. 

We ought to pursue the necessary explanatory work through the Soviet Mission to the UN with those countries with which we have no diplomatic relations. 

It would also be advisable to inform the governments of the PNR, CSSR, GDR, NRB, VNR, MNR, and the SFRY of our measures to explain the nuclear weapons non-proliferation treaty, expressing the opinion about the desirability of the friends in turn also taking appropriate steps in this direction. 

A draft decree is attached. 

Please examine [it]. 

22 March 1968 [signed] A. Gromyko