Journal of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 16 February 1960

USSR EMBASSY IN THE DPRK [faded USSR   TOP SECRET

MFA stamp:                     Copy Nº 3

Nº 58 0767s

25 March 1960 9 April 1960]

[handwritten:

"to Cdes. [[N. P. Varnov?]] and Samsonov, G. Ye.

9 April 1960 [[illegible signature]]"]

JOURNAL

of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK A. M. Puzanov for the period

16 February through 24 March 1960

Pyongyang

[…]

16 February 1960

In connection with the act that the day before during lunch Nam Il had asked where Cde. Lubennikov was working now (Nam Il vacationed with him in the Crimea in 1958) I told Nam Il via VCh telephone that I learned from newspapers today that a few days ago Lubennikov was elected First Secretary of the Kemerovo Oblast' CPSU Committee.

Nam Il thanked [me] for the information and asked that congratulations on [his] new appointment and wishes for success in work be sent to Lubennikov if possible.

Nam Il then asked what conversation I had had with Kim Il Sung when presenting him with the record of the conversation between Cde. N. S. Khrushchev and Vukmanovic.

I replied to Nam Il that inasmuch as familiarization with the content of the conversation lasted two hours and ended about 1500, that is, during the lunch break, I did not consider it possible to detain Kim Il Sung for a conversation about any other issues.

Nam Il noted that Kim Il Sung had been previously misinformed about many issues but that this misconception was dispelled after he, Nam Il, sent Kim Il Sung the main content of a conversation with me.

Nam Il then asked whether the questions about the exhibition had been decided and whether our comrades need some particular information.

I replied to Nam Il that as far as I know Deputy Trade Representative V. A. Titkov had recently been received by Jeong Il-yong, Chairman of the Pyongyang People's Committee, about issues of the exhibition. As regards information, what is being published in the press is enough for us. It is the business of the Korean friends about what issues that are not being published in the press the representatives of the Soviet Union ought to be informed. I told Nam Il, by the way, inasmuch as you touched on the issue of information, I recalled your comment that there is no decision of the Cabinet of Ministers about prohibiting ambassadors of the socialist countries being given any information except that published in the press without the permission of the Cabinet of Ministers. I want you to tell about one conversation held between Deputy Trade Representative V. A. Titkov and Minister of Foreign Trade Rim Hae.

On a basis of reciprocity V. A. Titkov (the USSR Ministry of Foreign Trade gives the DPRK Ministry of Foreign Trade annually in about March complete information about Soviet trade with all countries) asked to talk about the results of the DPRK's reciprocal trade with socialist and other countries in 1959 and about agreements concluded for 1960.

Rim Hae, referring to a decision of the Cabinet of Ministers, said that he could not provide such information and that it was necessary to turn to the Cabinet of Ministers about this issue.

Nam Il was extremely surprised at this report and could not say anything ; he just repeated several times "how is this so[?]".

I noted to Nam Il that our comrades do not understand why Minister Rim Hae does not want to familiarize a representative of the Soviet Union with the state of DPRK trade relations with the socialist countries. And yes, by the way, he ought to known that officials of the embassies of the socialist countries reciprocally inform the officials of our trade mission and others about the state of trade in sufficient detail since there are no secrets in this, especially between the socialist countries.

Nam Il completely agreed with the comment [I] made and still continued to express his surprise about Rim Hae's response.

[…]

USSR AMBASSADOR IN THE DPRK

[signature]

(A. PUZANOV)

Five copies printed

1 - Cde. A. A. Gromyko

2 - Cde. Yu. V. Andropov

3 - Cde. DVO, USSR MFA

4 - Cde. I. I. Tugarinov

5 - to file

Nº [208]