Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XV, Berlin Crisis, 1962–1963

20. Paper Prepared in the U.S. Delegation⁰

Geneva, undated.

DRAFT PRINCIPLES

The US and USSR have been discussing a wide range of subjects. They have agreed, in regard to certain of these subjects on (i) certain general principles to which their governments subscribe; (ii) procedures for continuing negotiation on the basis of these principles by a Committee of Foreign Ministers’ deputies, which will be established specifically for this purpose, and which France and the UK will be invited to join; and (iii) certain interim steps to meet immediate dangers in the meantime.

1. Berlin

(a) General Principles: They believe that West Berlin should be free to choose its own way of life, that its viability should be maintained, and that its access should remain free and unhindered.

(b) Future Negotiations: They agree to study proposals for improving the situation in Berlin consistent with these principles and the vital interests of both sides in the aforementioned Committee of Foreign Ministers’ deputies.

(c) Interim Steps: In the meantime, they declare that long established access procedures should remain in effect.

2. Germany

(a) General Principles: They believe that the German people have the right to determine their own future and to reestablish the unity of Germany if they so desire, and they wish to facilitate the exercise of this right in a way that will enhance the security of all European peoples.

(b) Future Negotiations: They agree that the authorities in West and East Germany should be invited to establish mixed technical commissions, consisting of officials designated by these authorities, to increase cultural and technical contacts, promote mutually beneficial economic exchanges, and consider a draft electoral law and other steps toward German reunification.

(c) Interim Steps: In the meantime, they declare that they will ensure that any arrangements into which any of them may enter with any part of Germany will be consistent with the declarations recorded in this announcement, and that any peace treaty which they may conclude with a united Germany will be consistent with the declarations noted under 3 and 4, below.

3. Nuclear Diffusion

(a) General Principles: They believe that further diffusion of nuclear weapons into the control of national governments not now owning them would make more difficult the problem of maintaining lasting peace.

(b) Future Negotiations: They agree to seek, in the above-mentioned committee (or other appropriate forum) to develop policies regarding non-diffusion of nuclear weapons to which all states owning nuclear weapons might agree and to which states not now owning nuclear weapons might also subscribe.

(c) Interim Steps: In the meantime, they declare that they will not themselves relinquish control over nuclear weapons to any individual state not now owning such weapons and will refrain from assisting any such state in manufacturing them.

4. Non-Aggression

(a) General Principles: They believe that force should not be used to change existing frontiers and demarcation lines in Europe or for any other aggressive purpose.

(b) Future Negotiations: They agree to seek in the above-mentioned committee (or a sub-committee thereof) (i) to develop a suitable declaration regarding non-aggression between the NATO and Warsaw Pact Powers; and (ii) to consider measures which might be taken to enable the governments represented on that Commission to communicate and establish their non-aggressive intent in the event of grave crises and otherwise to reduce the risk of war by accident or miscalculation.

(c) Interim Steps: In the meantime, they declare that they will not themselves use or support use of force to change the external borders of Germany or the demarcation line inside Germany, and they note with approval past declarations of the Federal Republic that it will not use force to achieve the reunification of Germany or to settle international disputes.

5. Procedures

Once the proposed Committee of Foreign Ministers’ deputies has been established, the Foreign Ministers of countries represented on it should meet periodically, as seems useful, to review its work.

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/3–2062. Confidential. The source text bears no drafting information, but is attached to a March 21 memorandum from Kohler to Rusk, which states that it had been worked out after communications with Washington. The source text bears the handwritten notation: “As handed Gromyko.”