Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Near East Region; Iran; Iraq, Volume XII

218. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Secretary of State¹

Washington, April 16, 1957.

SUBJECT

• Report on the Richards Mission—Baghdad Pact, April 9²

During his visit to each of the four Baghdad Pact countries— Turkey, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq—Ambassador Richards gave assurances that the United States was prepared to assist in financing preliminary surveys for several regional projects discussed in recent meetings of Baghdad Pact economic experts. On April 9, in Baghdad, Ambassador Richards told the Secretary General of the Baghdad Pact that there was unanimous agreement in the four countries that these projects should be promptly undertaken. He also said that the survey funds would be made available through the Secretary General, so as to emphasize their identity with the Pact.

The following commitments were made by Ambassador Richards for Pact regional projects:

1. Surveys for telecommunications and highway links between the four capitals	$1,000,000
2. Iran telecommunications project	4,000,000
3. Engineering Iran portion Iran–Turkey railway	2,000,000
4. Turkish telecommunications project	600,000
5. Turkish highway link with Iran-Iraq	2,000,000
6. Telecommunications project in Iraq	1,150,000
7. Telecommunications project in Pakistan	1,820,000
	$12,570,000

The governments concerned are required to approve these projects formally and to authorize the Pact Secretary General to act on them. Concurrently, the United States Operations Missions in the four capitals will prepare the bilateral agreements necessary for the initiation of the projects.

The commitments which Ambassador Richards has made for regional Pact projects have been very favorably received in the Pact countries, and the Secretary General has stated that the undertakings will be most effective in strengthening the Pact. Ambassador Richards’ decisions were communicated to the press in Baghdad by the Ambassador and the Secretary General of the Pact.

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 120.1580/5–1057. Secret. Drafted by Bliss. Also addressed to the Under Secretary of State.
2. After completing his visits to the four Baghdad Pact countries, Richards issued a statement to the press at Baghdad on April 8. For text, see Department of State Bulletin, May 6, 1957, pp. 730–731.