Journal of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 8 October 1960

[faded USSR MFA stamp:   Copy Nº 1]

TOP SECRET

FROM THE JOURNAL

OF A. M. PUZANOV

02214-gs

20-24 October 1960

17 October 1960

Nº 169

[handwritten in the left margin: "DVO [Far East Department"]

JOURNAL

of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK Cde. A. M. PUZANOV

from 8 [SIC] through 14 October 1960

Pyongyang

[…]

8 October 1960

I received GDR Ambassador Kurt Schneidewind at his request.

The Ambassador provided information about the incorrect expressions of Albanian Ambassador Petro Gedeshi about the issue of the recall of the Soviet specialists from China which he made in a discussion on 7 October at the DPRK MFA (before the ambassadors' briefing). The Albanian Ambassador said that recently an official of the Albanian Embassy in Peking had come to them and told about the recall by the Soviet government of all its specialists in China. In Kurt Schneidewind's words, the Albanian Ambassador said the following on his own: the Soviet government is acting incorrectly: it helps India and Indonesia and at the same time recalls Soviet specialists from a fraternal socialist country, China. In reply to the comment of Kurt Schneidewind that evidently there are grounds for the recall of the Soviet specialists from China expressed in the incorrect behavior of the Chinese comrades themselves, Gedeshi replied that only the Soviet leaders had behaved incorrectly in this case.

For his part Kurt Schneidewind express sharp dissatisfaction with the incorrect statements of the Albanian Ambassador.

I thanked Kurt Schneidewind for the information.

xxx

I visited Kim Il Sung and passed him a CPSU CC Presidium letter on the issue of the visit to the DPRK by Cde. N. S. Khrushchev.

I read the text of the letter and said on my own: Cde. N. S. Khrushchev wants very much to visit the DPRK. He always spoke to me about this when I was with him at receptions. Nikita Sergeyevich spoke about this to you during the last meeting on 17 June. The CPSU CC Presidium knows that the KWP leadership and DPRK government and the entire Korean people are awaiting the arrival of Cde. N. S. Khrushchev with great desire. More than 37,000 welcoming letters and telegrams have come to the Embassy suffused with warmth and great friendship for the Soviet people.

Only circumstances which have developed with time caused the necessity of consulting with you about postponing the visit of Cde. N. S. Khrushchev.

Kim Il Sung listened to the CPSU CC Presidium letter with great attention. It could be noted that the warmth and cordiality of the letter made a deep impression. After familiarization with the content of the letter Kim Il Sung said with some emotion:

"We well understand that Cde. N. S. Khrushchev is going enormous work in New York right now. This work has great importance and it cannot be interrupted. After return Cde. Khrushchev will have to deal with preparations for the Conference. So we fully understand all these circumstances which force the postponement of the time of the visit.

We awaited the arrival of Cde. N. S. Khrushchev and carried out preparatory work. But this work will not be lost. This is necessary work. It was directed at strengthening the friendship and unity with the Soviet Union.

It is advisable to publish a report in the press simultaneously about the postponement of the visit.

It ought not to be consider awkward that it happed this way, the time of the visit is being postponed. We completely agree with the views of the CPSU CC. The most important thing is to make a contribution to a reduction of international tension. Right now it is more important than to visit Korea.

A new time for the visit of Cde. N. S. Khrushchev to the DPRK can be arranged with him personally when meeting in November".

Then Kim Il Sung added in the form of question:

This visit will hardly take place this year since it's cold here in winter. After visiting Korea Cde. N. S. Khrushchev wanted to go to Sakhalin and there, as we know, there is very much snow in winter. Therefore possibly the visit will take place in spring of next year?

As regards the time of publication Kim Il Sung said 12 October. This time was named in connection with the fact that a festive meeting will take place on 10 October in connection with the 15^th anniversary of the creation of the Korean Worker's Party and a report will be published on 11 October.

With respect to the text of the report for the press Kim Il Sung said that after translation into Korean it will be considered and an appropriate opinion will be reported to the Embassy. (No changes to the text came. Only a title was suggested. The report was published in the Korean press on 12 October 1960).

I thanked Kim Il Sung for the correct understanding and complete agreement with the ideas expressed in the CPSU CC Presidium letter.

Minister Pak Seong-cheol was present at the conversation.

The conversation was interpreted by Embassy Third Secretary D. A. Priyemsky and KWP CC International Department official Choe Won-sik.

The conversation was recorded by D. A. Priyemsky.

[…]

SOVIET AMBASSADOR IN THE DPRK [signature] (A. Puzanov)

Five copies sent re

1 - Cde. A. A. Gromyko

2 - Cde. Yu. V. Andropov

3 - Cde. V. I. Tugarinov

4 - UVPI MID SSSR

5 - to file

17 October 1960

Nº 489