601.6111/3–3053
No. 575
Memorandum of Conversation, by the
Officer in Charge of USSR Affairs (Stoessel)
Subject:
- Conversation at the Soviet Embassy
Participants:
- Ambassador Zaroubin
- Ambassador Bohlen
- Mr. Stoessel—EE
In accordance with previous appointment, arranged at the insistent suggestion of Ambassador Zaroubin, Ambassador Bohlen and Mr. Stoessel arrived at the Soviet Embassy at 10 a.m. and were escorted to the large Embassy reception room. Ambassador Zaroubin entered after a few minutes and greeted Ambassador Bohlen warmly. The ensuing conversation, which lasted approximately 20 minutes, was entirely in Russian.
The talk consisted largely of amenities. Ambassador Bohlen recalled the numerous occasions on which he had met Ambassador Zaroubin previously. There was some mention of the new Embassy building in Moscow, living conditions at Spaso House, and Ambassador Bohlen’s travel arrangements. Ambassador Zaroubin remarked that he considered it the duty of an ambassador to work for the betterment of relations between his own country and the country of assignment. Ambassador Bohlen agreed that this was a correct description of an ambassador’s function.
Ambassador Zaroubin noted Mr. Molotov’s statement1 that the USSR fully supported the Chinese proposals for a resolution of the Korean War. He felt that the Chinese proposals would result in ending the conflict, which he believed was “necessary for future perspectives”. Ambassador Bohlen said the proposals were being studied carefully in the Department, but would require clarification. It was obvious, he agreed, that the fighting in Korea had to end before there could be serious hope of even examining other outstanding problems.
No further matters of substance were discussed during the conversation, which ended with Ambassador Zaroubin’s expression of good wishes to Ambassador Bohlen in his new mission.
- Foreign Minister Molotov’s statement made on Apr. 1.↩