Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume X, Eastern Europe

83. Letter From Romanian President Ceausescu to President Reagan¹

Bucharest, undated

Dear Mr. President,

On behalf of the Romanian people, of the Grand National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Romania and on my own behalf I am sending to you, as President of the United States of America, this message in connection with the beginning in Geneva of the negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union on the stopping of the deployment and the withdrawal of the intermediate-range missiles from Europe.²

The Romanian people, as well as the other European peoples are deeply concerned about the situation created in Europe, where the greatest military arsenal ever known in history including both conventional and increasingly sophisticated nuclear weapons, has been accumulated.

The program of development and deployment of new intermediate range missiles cannot but further amplify the danger of war and tension on the continent thus magnifying the European peoples concern and, at the same time, their determination to intervene with all their strength, in order to check the development and deployment of medium range nuclear armament on this continent, for the reduction of the existing potential and for freeing Europe of all nuclear weapons.

The huge demonstrations and actions bringing together hundreds of thousands participants from the European countries including Romania, demonstrate the will of the peoples on our continent, conscious that they will be the victims of a nuclear confrontation in Europe, to act with all their forces to remove the danger of war, to stop the arms race and, first of all, the nuclear weapons one, to eliminate the nuclear armaments of any kind from this region of the world.

Under these circumstances the Soviet-American negotiations on intermediate-range missiles in Geneva acquire a particular importance. Debating these issues, the Grand National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Romania in its session of November 28, this year, has entrusted upon me the task to send this personal message to you, dear President Reagan, calling upon you to do everything in your power, in order to bring about, as a result of the Geneva negotiations, specific agreements regarding the cessation of the development and deployment of new nuclear weapons, the withdrawal of the intermediate-range missiles from Europe.

I have also been empowered by the Grand National Assembly to send a message on the same issue to the President of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Leonid Brezhnev. Equally I have been empowered to send messages to the heads of states and governments of the other countries signatories of the Helsinki Final Act calling upon them to do their utmost for the success of the Geneva negotiations, for a halt to nuclear armaments race in Europe, for freeing the continent of all nuclear weapons.

At the same time, the Grand National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Romania adopted a similar appeal addressed to all parliaments, governments and peoples of the European countries, of the USA and Canada.

We welcome the beginning of the negotiations in Geneva. The Romanian people, as well as the other peoples are expecting the negotiations to agree, from their very beginning, on a halt, for the duration of the negotiations, in the implementation of the NATO decision to deploy in Europe new intermediate-range nuclear missiles, in the increasing, by both sides, of the existing ones and, the Soviet Union, as President L.I. Brezhnev has stated, to unilaterally reduce a certain number of the same kind of their missiles deployed on the European part of the USSR territory.

At the same time, the Romanian people would like to see the Geneva negotiations ending with an agreement conducive to the reduction at the lowest level of all nuclear weapons in Europe, as well as to measures to remove all nuclear arms, be either intermediate-range or tactical, so that Europe would become a continent free of nuclear weapons.

In connection with the above I would like, dear Mr. President, to appeal to you, on behalf of the Romanian people, to use all your authority as the leader of the United States of America to directly contribute to the progress of these negotiations, to their constructive and fruitful course, with the view of their successful conclusion, so that they meet the peoples expectations and be registered as a major event with profound, positive implications for the contemporary political life.

I think you will agree with me, dear Mr. President, that now, before the missiles enter into action, before nuclear bombs are beginning to be dropped on this continent, now before it is too late, when we are still alive and we can act, we should do everything in order to reduce and eliminate the nuclear weapons in Europe, in order to defend the fundamental human right to life, freedom and peace.

The Romanian people, as well as the other peoples, hope that the heads of states and, first of all, you and the President of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, will act in such a manner that the two great nuclear powers will never use their nuclear armaments, will renounce them, and the atom will be used only for peaceful purposes, in the interest of the progress, the welfare and the civilisation of mankind.

I am aware of the numerous difficulties, of many existing complex and difficult problems to be solved in the international life, I know that many weapons and much distrust have been accumulated, but the cause of stopping the arms race, of reducing tension and armaments, especially the nuclear ones, should prevail on everything else. In this spirit I consider that all the European states should express a special preoccupation and interest in the success of the Geneva negotiations, and should participate, in one way or another, to these negotiations.

As far as we are concerned, Romania will further cooperate with the United States of America, with the other states, for the success of these negotiations and is ready to take part, in one way or another, to the negotiations, to the quest for the most judicious ways leading to understanding and cooperation in the service of the fundamental interests of peoples on our continent.

Starting from the major importance, the creation in different parts of Europe of nuclear free zones, of cooperation and good neighbourhood, has for the process of disarmament, security and confidence building on the continent, Romania is determined to further do everything in her power to develop her good relations with all the Balkan states, to transform the Balkans into an area of peace and cooperation, without nuclear weapons and would welcome the United States support for the fulfilment of this desideratum of the Balkan peoples.

May I, in conclusion, dear Mr. President, convey to you cordial greetings and my best wishes, as well as my desire to continue to work together for the development of the Romanian-American relations of cooperation, in our mutual interest, to the benefit of the cause of peace, cooperation and international détente.

Sincerely,³

1. Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Head of State File, Romania: President Ceausescu (8102743) (1). No classification marking. The original letter in Romanian, signed by Ceausescu, is dated November 30. (Ibid.)
2. Documentation on the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces negotiations is scheduled for publication in Foreign Relation, 1981–1988, vol. XII, INF, 1984–1987.
3. The translation is unsigned.