Office of the Historian

29. Memorandum of Conversation0

Washington, December 27, 1963.

SUBJECT

  • Protest Against Mob Attack on US Legation in Sofia1

PARTICIPANTS

  • U.S.
    • EUR—Mr. Richard H. Davis, Acting Assistant Secretary for European Affairs
    • EE—Mr. Merrill A. White, Bulgarian Desk Officer
  • Bulgarian
    • Lyubomir Popov, Minister, Bulgarian Embassy

Mr. Davis opened the conversation saying he imagined Minister Popov knew, either from his own sources or from the radio, what the subject was to be. Mr. Davis continued saying he was under instructions to protest strongly the mob attack on our Legation in Sofia and the failure to provide prompt and adequate police protection. We hold the Bulgarian Government fully responsible and will expect either restoration or compensation for the damaged property, both government and privately-owned. Mr. Davis mentioned he was also surprised at the delay in bringing up militia reinforcements, particularly since he understood that the militiaman at the entrance to the Legation had a telephone at his disposal.

Continuing, Mr. Davis said that we expect the Bulgarian authorities will take immediate and effective action to assure the safety of the lives of official American personnel and the security of US property. We object also to the fact there was nearly a six-hour delay in the arrangement of an appointment for our charge to see an appropriate official of the Foreign Office.2 We expect that Minister Popov will communicate this protest to his Government as quickly as possible.

Mr. Davis also reminded Minister Popov of the Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Resumption of Diplomatic Relations signed [Page 64] by Minister Popov’s predecessor, Dr. Voutov, and read a portion of this memorandum:

“… members of the staffs of the diplomatic missions of each country who are nationals of the sending country shall enjoy in the territory of the other the privileges and immunities derived from generally recognized international law and practice.”3

Mr. Davis concluded saying that such occurrences could only have damaging effects on US-Bulgarian relations. Minister Popov briefly replied saying he had been informed that the demonstration was spontaneous and had been brought under control as soon as the Bulgarian authorities were aware of it. He said the occurrence was unfortunate and that he had every wish to keep our relations moving forward. When he again described the demonstration as spontaneous, Mr. Davis reminded him that he had used no adjective to modify the word demonstration. Apparently very anxious to leave a rather embarrassing subject, Minister Popov concluded saying that he would relay our protest immediately to his Government. Before leaving, Minister Popov then asked a technical question concerning the MFN provision in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1963.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 25–3 Bul. Limited Official Use. Drafted by White on December 31.↩
  2. At about 11 a.m. Sofia time on December 27, a crowd of about 3,000 persons protesting alleged U.S. involvement with an accused Bulgarian “spy” demonstrated at the U.S. Legation, breaking windows and overturning a number of automobiles. The Legation immediately protested the lack of police protection to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.↩
  3. After meeting with lower level Foreign Office officials on December 27, charge Richard Johnson conveyed an oral protest over the incident to Foreign Minister Chernev on December 28. Johnson reported on their meeting in telegram 395 from Sofia, December 28. (Department of State, Central Files, POL 25–3 Bul)↩
  4. Ellipsis in the source text.↩