Journal of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 2 March 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

[…]

2 March 1960

By previous agreement I met with Pak Seong-cheol and informed him and Deputy Ministers Pak Gwang-seon and Kim Tae-hui and MFA Counsellor Jeong Gwang-rok, who were present at the conversation about the results of the 14^th UN General Assembly session.

After providing the information opinions were exchanged about the procedure for preparing for the upcoming 15^th UN General Assembly session in terms of contacts between DPRK MFA officials and Embassy staff, proposals concerning the Korean issue, and other possible issues which will be raised for discussion at the next session.

At the instruction of Moscow I presented Pak Seong-cheol information about the results of the visit of Italian President Gronchi to the Soviet Union  to pass to the leadership.

Pak Seong-cheol thanked me for the information which was given and said that it will be sent to the KWP CC leadership immediately.

Then, in connection with the text of the statement in the form of a reply by the First Deputy Chairman of the DPRK Cabinet of Ministers, to questions of a TsTAK correspondent sent yesterday by Pak Seong-cheol I asked what prompted such a statement to be made in the name of the First Deputy Chairman of the DPRK Cabinet of Ministers and not in the form of a DPRK MFA or a DPRK government statement. I also asked whether it is intended to consult with the Chinese friends about the text of this document.

Pak Seong-cheol said that he would reply to the questions raised somewhat later.

The conversation was translated by Embassy interpreter D. A. Priyemsky.

xxx

In the evening I visited Pak Seong-cheol at his request. First Pak Seong-cheol reported that Nam Il would like to meet with the Ambassador in the morning of 3 March about questions of transporting export goods from the DPRK to the USSR.

I replied that inasmuch as by previous agreement I am going on a business trip tomorrow morning to the city of Sineuiju to read a report a meeting with Nam Il might take place next week, especially since Trade Representative I. A. Gladkov is returning from Moscow. In the event the matter is urgent Embassy Counsellor V. I. Pelishenko and Deputy Trade Representative V. A. Titkov can meet with Nam Il.

Pak Seong-cheol said that he will pass this to Nam Il.

Then Pak Seong-cheol replied to the questions I had posed during the day's conversation. Pak Seong-cheol said that in the past Kim Il had made a statement about the state of affairs in South Korean and that this time the statement was also made in his name since the issue being touched on has both domestic as well as foreign policy importance. In addition, he stressed, that in event that more vigorous measures needed to be adopted the statement would be made in the name of the DPRK government. Thus the statement from First Deputy Chairman of the DPRK Cabinet of Ministers reserves the opportunity to carry out further steps.

Replying to the second question, Pak Seong-cheol said that the DPRK government is turning firstly to the government of the USSR inasmuch as the question raises was discussed in advance during Kim Il's visit to Cde. N. S. Khrushchev. Henceforth, after receiving a reply from the Soviet government it is intended to inform the Chinese friends about the proposed statement of Kim Il.

I thanked Pak Seong-cheol for the information.

The conversation was interpreted by Embassy interpreter D. A. Priyemsky.

[…]

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]