Telegram from the Romanian Embassy in Moscow to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bucharest) (1)

22 December 1989, 04:20 pm

Cde. Ion Stoian, Minister of Foreign Affairs,


On 22 December 1989, at 02:00 pm I. P. Aboimov, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, called me at the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Accompanying me was I. R=EEpan, [Embassy] secretary. V. A. Lapsin, [Soviet MFA] secretary was also present.

Aboimov said that he was instructed to present, on behalf of the Soviet leadership, the following reply to the message sent [by the Romanian government] through the Soviet ambassador in Bucharest [during his discussion with Nicolae Ceaucescu on 19 December].

"The message sent [by] the Romanian nation on 20 December of this year, has been carefully examined in Moscow. We consider the problems raised in the message as very serious, since they are dealing with the basic issues of our collaboration.

In the spirit of sincerity, characteristic for our bilateral relations, we would like to mention that we are surprised by its tone and the accusations regarding the position and role of the Soviet Union with respect to the events taking place in Timisoara. We reject wholeheartedly the statements with regard to the anti-Romanian campaign supposedly taking place in the Soviet Union, not to mention the accusation that the actions against Romania have allegedly planned by the Warsaw Treaty Organization [WTO]. Such accusations are unfounded and absolutely unacceptable. Just as absurd are the declarations of certain Romanian officials who are suggesting that the Soviet Union is preparing to intervene in Romania. We are starting, invariably, from the idea that, in our relations with allied nations, as well as with all other nations, the principles of sovereignty, independence, equality of rights, non-intervention in the internal affairs. These principles have been once again confirmed during the [WTO] Political Consultative Committee summit in Bucharest.

It is clear that the dramatic events taking place in Romania are your own internal problem. The fact that during these events deaths have occurred has aroused deep grief among the Soviet public. The declaration adopted by the Congress of the People's Deputies is also a reflection of these sentiments.

Furthermore, I would like to inform you that our representative at the UN Security Council has received instructions to vote against convening the Security Council for [the purpose of] discussing the situation in Romania, as some countries have proposed. We consider that this would be an infringement of the sovereignty of an independent state by an international organization.

We want to hope that, in the resolution of the events in Romania, wisdom and realism will prevail and that political avenues to solve the problems to the benefit of [our] friend, the Romanian nation, will be found.

Our position comes out of our sincere desire not to introduce into our relationship elements of suspicion or mistrust, out of our desire to continue our relations normally, in the interest of both our nations, [and in the interest of] the cause of peace and socialism.

I. P. Aboimov asked that this message be sent immediately to Bucharest.

(ss) [Ambassador] Ion Bucur

[1] Ceaucescu had accused the Soviet leadership, in cooperation with "other Warsaw Pact members" of masterminding the events taking place in Timisoara, and of preparing an attack on Romania."