Document No. 43
As result of these negotiations a draft of this treaty has been agreed
upon in its entirety by the two Governments.
I would appreciate it if you would transmit to the Government of the
United States for its information the enclosed draft for the “Treaty of
friendship, mutual assistance, and post-war cooperation between the USSR
and Czechoslovakia.”
[Enclosure—Translation]
Draft Text of Czechoslovak–Soviet Treaty
Treaty of friendship, mutual assistance, and
post-war cooperation between the USSR and czechoslovakia
“The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics and the President of the Czechoslovakian Republic,
desiring to modify and supplement the Treaty of mutual assistance
existing between the Government of the Soviet Union and the
Government of the Czechoslovakian Republic and signed in Prague on
May
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16, 1935,10 and to
confirm the terms of the Agreement between the Government of the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Government of the
Czechoslovakian Republic concerning joint action in the war against
Germany, signed July 18, 1941, in London,11 desiring to cooperate after the
war to maintain peace and to prevent further aggression on the part
of Germany and to assure permanent friendship and peaceful post-war
cooperation between them, have resolved to conclude for this purpose
a treaty and have appointed as their plenipotentiaries:
The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics—Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, People’s Commissar for
Foreign Affairs,
The President of the Czechoslovakian Republic—Mr. Zdenek Fierlinger,
Ambassador of the Czechoslovakian Republic in the Soviet Union,
who, having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form,
have agreed to the following:
Article 1
The High Contracting Parties, having agreed mutually to join in a
policy of permanent friendship and friendly post-war cooperation, as
well as of mutual assistance, engage to extend to each other
military and other assistance and support of all kinds in the
present war against Germany and against all those States which are
associated with it in acts of aggression in Europe.
Article 2
The High Contracting Parties engage not to enter during the period of
the present war into any negotiations with the Hitler Government or
with any other Government in Germany which does not clearly renounce
all aggressive intentions, and not to carry on negotiations and not
to conclude without mutual agreement any armistice or other treaty
of peace with Germany or with any other State associated with it in
acts of aggression in Europe.
Article 3
Affirming their pre-war policy of peace and mutual assistance,
expressed in the treaty signed at Prague on May 16, 1935, the High
Contracting Parties, in case one of them in the period after the war
should become involved in military action with Germany, which might
resume its policy of “Drang nach Osten”, or with any other
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State which might join
with it directly or in any other form in such a war, will
immediately extend to the other Contracting Party thus involved in
military action all manner of military and other support and
assistance at its disposal.
Article 4
The High Contracting Parties, having regard to the security interests
of each of them, agree to close and friendly cooperation in the
period after the restoration of peace and agree to act in accordance
with the principles of mutual respect for their independence and
sovereignty, as well as of non-interference in the internal affairs
of the other State. They agree to develop their economic relations
to the fullest possible extent and to extend to each other all
possible economic assistance after the war.
Article 5
Each of the High Contracting Parties engages not to conclude any
alliances and not to take part in any coalition directed against the
other High Contracting Party.
Article 6
The present Treaty shall come into force immediately after signature
and shall be ratified within the shortest possible time; the
exchange of ratifications will take place in Moscow as soon as
possible.
The present Treaty shall remain in force for a period of twenty years
from the date of signature, and if one of the High Contracting
Parties at the end of this period of twenty years does not give
notice of its desire to terminate the treaty twelve months before
its expiration, it will continue to remain in force for five years,
unless one of the High Contracting Parties gives notice in writing
twelve months before the expiration of the five-year period of its
intention to terminate it.
Done in two copies at Moscow . . . . . . . . . . , 1943 in Russian
and in Czechoslovak, both texts having the same authenticity.”
A protocol at the time of signature will introduce the following
point:
“The Parties undertake that, in the event that any third country
bordering on the USSR or Czechoslovakia and constituting in this war
an object of German aggression desires to subscribe to this Treaty,
it will be given the opportunity, upon the joint agreement of the
Governments of the USSR and Czechoslovakia, to sign this treaty,
which will thus acquire the character of a tripartite
agreement.”11a
