145. Letter From Romanian President Ceausescu to President Reagan1
In the spirit of the good Romanian-American relations of the exchange of messages between us on various bilateral and international matters, I would like to draw your attention to a highly important question concerning the need to halt the arms race and proceed to concrete and effective measures of disarmament as soon as possible.
The Romanian people, just like the other peoples of the world, is deeply concerned about the continuation of the arms race at a fast pace and the dangerous course of events towards confrontation and war.
Giving expression to our concern and in consensus with the entire people’s will, the 11,000 participants in the recent Congress of the Working People of the Socialist Republic of Romania decided to call upon all the European states, the USA and Canada to adopt measures of reducing arms, troops and military expenditures by 5 per cent until the end of this year, even before an appropriate agreement is reached in this field.
The Congress has decided that Romania should proceed to a unilateral 5 per cent arms, troops and military expenditures reduction by the end of this year.
The Congress has fully agreed that this measure be submitted to the entire people for approval in a referendum to be held in the fourth quarter of this year.
[Page 395]As you know, the Appeal of the participating States in the Warsaw Treaty, adopted at their Meeting in June 1986,2 addressed to all the NATO member States, to all European States, calls for a 25 per cent troops and conventional arms reduction by the end of this decade.
Considering the need to pass on to real disarmament measures in a short time, as well as the fact that the European countries, just like other peoples, should assume a greater responsibility and act firmly for the achievement of disarmament and détente, we would welcome with great satisfaction if the United States of America, the other NATO member States, all European countries proceeded to a unilateral reduction by at least 5 per cent of their troops, weapons and military expenditures by the end of this year, even before an appropriate agreement is reached in this field.
I think that, considering the world balance of forces, such unilateral measures do not jeopardize the security of any states, their defensive capacity, but, on the contrary, they favour passing on to effective negotiations on disarmament, as an expression of the respective states’ will to firmly act in this direction.
Taking into account the present stage of negotiations on disarmament, as well as the prospect of the new American-Soviet high level dialogue, I appreciate that should the United States of America adopt a unilateral measure to reduce by 5 per cent the troops, arms and military expenditures this very year, it would play an important role in giving an impetus to the negotiations and enjoy a strong response all over the world.
I express my hope that we will further work together on major international issues and, first of all, an disarmament and the elimination of the nuclear threat, for easing international tension, for security, independence and progress of all nations, for understanding and peace.
With the most distinguished sentiments,
- Source: Reagan Library, Paula J. Dobriansky Files, Chron October 1986 (3). No classification marking. Printed from an unofficial translation.↩
- For the text of the appeal, issued in Budapest on June II, see Documents on Disarmament, 1986, pp. 341–345.↩
- Printed from a translation that bears this typed signature.↩