Paris Peace Conference 861.00/763

The President of the Lettish Delegation at Paris (Meierovics) to President Wilson

[Translation]

Your Excellency: I have the honor to inform you that I have been instructed by the Delegations of the Republics of Azerbaidjan, Esthonia, Georgia, Latvia, North Caucasus, White Russia, and the Ukraine to present to your Excellency the appended Declaration.

Accept [etc.]

Z. A. Meierovics
[Enclosure—Translation]

Declaration by the Delegations at Paris of the Republics of Azerbaidjan, Esthonia, Georgia, Latvia, North Caucasus, White Russia, and the Ukraine

The undersigned plenipotentiary delegates of the states created within the limits of the former Russian Empire, that is:

  • The Republic of Azerbaidjan,
  • The Republic of Esthonia,
  • The Republic of Georgia,
  • The Republic of Latvia,
  • The Republic of North Caucasus,
  • The Republic of White Russia,
  • The Republic of the Ukraine,

having noted the contents of the correspondence between the Council of the Great Allied and Associated Powers and Admiral Koltchak, concerning the conditions for the assistance to be given by the said powers to the Omsk Government, have the honor to declare, in the name of their respective governments, the following:

1.
The Republics: [of] Azerbaidjan, Esthonia, Georgia, Latvia, North Caucasia, White Russia and Ukraine were created and exist by the free will of the populations of these states. The Constitutions of these Republics are being elaborated and their reciprocal relations with the neighboring states are being fixed and will be determined by their respective constituent assemblies, which have already been elected or will be elected on the basis of universal suffrage. The decisions of the organs of the Governmental Power of Russia, whatever [Page 381] they may be, can, therefore, in no way concern the sovereign states of: Azerbaidjan, Esthonia, Georgia, Latvia, North Caucasia, White Russia and Ukraine, and the reciprocal relations between these states and Russia can only be regulated as between states, equal in all their rights, independent and sovereign, whereas the above mentioned correspondence can be interpreted as the negation of such a right.
2.
The Republics mentioned in the preamble, reiterate, before the Peace Conference and the Great Powers, their request to have their political independence recognized without delay.


A. M. Toptchibacheff

President of the Delegation of the Republic of Azerbaidjan
J. Poska

President of the Esthonian Delegation
N. Tcheidze

President of the Delegation of the Georgian Republic
Z. A. Meierovics

President of the Delegation of Latvia
A. M. tchermoeff

President of the Delegation of the North Caucasian Republic
Antoine de Loutckevitch

President of the Delegation of the Democratic White Ruthenian Republic
G. Sydorenko

President of the Delegation of the Ukrainian Republic