Office of the Historian

30. Memorandum of Conversation1

Washington, February 17, 1965, 11 a.m.

SUBJECT

  • US Concern over Attacks on US Legation in Sofia and Continued Militia Harassment2

PARTICIPANTS

  • US
    • The Secretary
    • Merrill A. White, EE
  • Bulgarian
    • Lyubomir Popov, Minister, Bulgarian Legation

The Minister mentioned several recent developments which he believed clearly showed Bulgarian intentions to improve relations. His Government recently agreed to a limited cultural exchange in the field of English teaching and in principle to the negotiation of a consular convention. These developments were helpful, he believed.

The Secretary had certain comments to make. We were, of course, also interested in improving US-Bulgarian relations. We were prepared to make efforts in that direction in connection with both small and large [Page 122] questions involved. However, he wanted to emphasize strongly that the starting point must be the observance of the minimum rights of legations worked out by diplomacy over several hundred years. If these rights are not fully respected, it is difficult to make an effort for the improvement of relations. We are seriously concerned that our Legation has been attacked for the third time in two years. We feel such matters very deeply. These attacks also create political problems in the U.S. Such actions tend to proscribe our freedom of action to improve relations. Even if we have different views on serious and dangerous questions, we cannot permit these differences of opinion to erode generally accepted diplomatic practices. Otherwise the whole fabric of diplomatic life falls to pieces. We hope the Bulgarian Government will do everything in its power to protect the rights of our Legation in Sofia. The Secretary said he had not used violent language or excessive adjectives in his discussion, but this does not make the problem any less serious. Having said that, he continued that we are interested in improving relations—not for any undisclosed or for any cold war reason—but we do believe that peoples with different social systems should find ways to reduce and eliminate difficulties whenever possible. We want to put relations between peoples on an accepted normal basis if the situation permits.

The Minister had a few comments relative to the demonstration on February 15. In this latest incident the Foreign Minister took the initiative to call in the US Charge to express regrets. Steps were taken to protect our Legation. The Secretary should be aware of these facts.

The Secretary commented there was another problem which he must mention. The activities of the militia near our Legation in Sofia are a source of concern to us. He wished to urge that the rights of the Legation be of particular concern to both sides. Problems of this kind should not be allowed to arise.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 BUL. Confidential. Drafted by White, and approved in S on February 25. The meeting was held in Secretary Rusk’s office. The source text is labeled “Part IV of VI Parts.”↩
  2. On February 15, a mob protesting U.S. involvement in Vietnam attacked the U.S. Legation and Residence in Sofia.↩