31. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Hungarian Minister (Szarka) and the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Barbour), Department of State, Washington, September 26, 19551
SUBJECT
- Visit by the Hungarian Minister
The Hungarian Minister called at his request on Mr. Barbour this afternoon with regard to the following matter:
The Minister referred to a message addressed to the Secretary by Hungarian Foreign Minister Boldoczki2 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the US and Hungary. He stated that he had been instructed by his Government to approach the Department of State on this important anniversary and to make known the earnest hope of his Government that the occasion would mark the opening of a decade of good relations with the US. The Minister said he was aware that there were many outstanding problems in the relations of the two countries but was confident that these issues could be resolved during this period. He referred to initiatives already undertaken in Budapest looking toward this end and then expressed the hope that the US would find it possible, in furtherance of good relations, to support Hungary’s application for membership in the UN.
Mr. Barbour said that he appreciated the Minister’s statement of the views of the Hungarian Government in these matters. He said he thought he should say frankly that there were, indeed, many serious problems outstanding between the US and Hungary and that the past 10 years had been troubled ones and hardly productive of good relations. He said that this Government shared the hope that relations might be improved and that existing problems which stood in the way of such improvement might be resolved. Mr. Barbour added that he hoped it would not take the next 10 years to accomplish this.
Referring to the Minister’s request for US support of Hungary’s application for membership in the UN, Mr. Barbour pointed out that the US has refrained from any use of the veto against membership applicants and that Hungary, on each occasion, has simply failed to obtain the required number of votes for admission. Mr. Barbour said that the US has not been able to support the admission of Hungary because to have done so in the light of existing conditions would have been contrary to our principles and conscience. He said that we would [Page 82] be glad to have Hungary become a member of the UN when conditions made it possible for us to approve Hungarian membership in keeping with our principles and our conscience.
The Minister thanked Mr. Barbour and again expressed the hope that relations would soon improve between the US and Hungary. He made no reference during the conversation to any specific problems in US-Hungarian relations.