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.]
[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
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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.
Paris, June 17, 1919.
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