Memorandum of Conversation between M[išo] Pavićević, deputy state secretary of foreign affairs with A[vigdor] Dagan, Israel’s chargé in Belgrade, on June 13, 1967 at 3.10 pm

State Secretariat of Foreign Affairs

Cabinet of the Deputy State Secretary

Conf. no. 420497

June 14, 1967

Memorandum

of conversation between M[išo] Pavićević, deputy state secretary of foreign affairs with A[vigdor] Dagan, Israel’s chargé in Belgrade, on June 13, 1967 at 3.10 pm

I gave him a note about severing diplomatic relations.

On behalf of his government and on his own behalf, the Israeli representative rejected all the reasons the Yugoslav government cites for taking this unjust and drastic step. On behalf of his government and his own behalf, he expressed regret over the decision of the Yugoslav government and hopes that diplomatic relation would be reestablished soon. In the meantime, he hopes the Yugoslav government will study his country’s problem with more objectivity, understanding, and goodwill.

He thanked for the kindness he received during his stay in Yugoslavia, thanked me for cooperation and asked me to send his gratitude also to the Secretary of State and all colleagues with whom he had the honor to cooperate during his time in Yugoslavia. He underscored that he was leaving Yugoslavia the same way as he had come, i.e., as a friend of our country.

I replied that I don’t need to repeat the Yugoslav government’s positions on the crisis and war in the Middle East, because these positions and activity are known to him. Regarding the categorical rejection of the allegations from the last note, I said that we would like the truthfulness of these allegations be denied by the Israeli government in practice, and not in words. In terms of representative’s expressed hope for restoring diplomatic relations, I say that it will depend, first and foremost, on the future policies of the Israeli government.

On behalf of the government, the SSFA and my personal behalf, I thanked representative Dagan for cooperation. At the end, the representative handed me an anonymous letter which he received in the mail. He remarks that by unfortunate coincidence it was the first document he received today, and the note the second.

I replied that the anonymous paper (which I cursorily examined) does not deserve any comment, especially because he knows very well that the views in that letter were in stark contrast to the SFRY government’s policies.

Before the exit, Dagan asks what our position is regarding the deadline for him to leave Yugoslavia. I reply that we did not fix any deadline, but that we leave it to him to estimate how much time he needs to execute the necessary preparations and to inform and arrange with the SSFA Protocol.

The conversation lasted 10 minutes.

M. Pavićević

Delivered:

General Secretariat

President of the Republic

President of the Federal Assembly

President of the FEC

Secretary of the EC CC LCY comrade, M. Todorović

Comrade Koča Popović

President of the Board for Foreign Affairs and International Relations of the Federal Assembly

State Secretary of Foreign Affairs

Comrade N. Dizdarević

Comrade L. Mojsov

Comrade D. Belovski

Comrade M. Pešić

Office for Africa and the Middle East

Group for Analytics and Planning

Embassy SFRY Tel Aviv

Dossier

Conf. Archive