CONVERSATION WITH MR. A. M. TIMOSHCHENKO, COUNSELOR OF THE SOVIET EMBASSY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP65-00756R000600040013-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 4, 2000
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: October 30, 1953
• Content Type: DISP

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October 309 1953
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CONVERSATION WITH MR. A. M. TIMOSHCHENKO
SOVIET EMBASSY
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COUNSELOR OF THE
During a British reception yesterday, Er. Timoshchenko sought
me out in a rather pointed fashion, apparently for the purpose
of making the remarks which follow:
He enquired whether the American Embassy would be represented
at the Special Session of Parliament the next der at 'which the
Chancellor was to deliver a speech on the 10th anniversary of the
Moscow Declaration. I replied that I doubted that we mould sug-
gesting that Mr. Raab might have some unpleasant remarks to make
about all four occupying powers in view of our failure to conclude
an Austrian treaty for so long a time. Mr. Timoshchenko declared
that an Austrian treaty is in fact overdue, but that what is
needed primarily in the world today is the restoration of confi-
dence and mutual understanding between the Soviet Union and the
United States.
He referred to the loss of ten million lives in Russia during
the last war and to the strenuous efforts now being made to raise
the standard of living in the Soviet Union as reasons for his
Government's determination to avoid a new war. He said that the
Soviet Union would of course not attempt to overthrow the capital-
list system in the United States, and he assumes that we would
not attempt to.overthrow the Communist system in Russia. This
being the case, there is no reason why we should not live together
peacefully. The Russian people, however, are deeply alarmed by
the rearmament of Western Germany and the Western bases which are
being created in the neighborhood of the Soviet Union, both of
which they felt to be a serious threat to Soviet security and
certain to lead to war in five or six years if they continue.
In reply I referred to the thorough-going fashion in which
the US had disarmed directly after World War II and to the fact
that our recent rearmament and that of our allies was g defensive
reaction against threats to our security. When he remarked that
[ the United States is too far away to be seriously threatened,
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minted out that in the present stage of air warfare no nation
can feel wholly secure. Returning to his reference to the Ger'
manse I suggested that if they were knit firmly into a European
community they would be unable, even if they should so desire, to
return to their former aggressive practices. Timoshchenko replied
that Germany is basically so *trong that she would drag any European
community along at her heels and that the only solution would
be for her to be neutralized. When I remarked that it would hardly
be realistic to think of isolating such a country as Germany, in
the center of Europe, without ties or associations of any kind,
he replied that she might have economic and cultural ties.
When he reverted to his basic theme of the importance of the
US and USSR understanding each other, I suggested that an invita-
tion to Lugano is.outstanding and that to accept this invitation
mould be an excellent way to make a beginning. He said he feared
the meeting in Lugano would develop merely into an argument about
the agenda; what he thought wea needed was a bigb-level meeting
with a broader scope. When I enquired what he felt to be the
most important problems that such a meeting might deal with, he
replied that the first problem would be to arrange for the entry
of Communist China into the U.K. He said that he could understand
that we might wish to keep a base in Formosa, but that it was un-
realistic to try to keep out of international councils a government
representing 400,0000000 people. I said that I failed to see how
the admission of Communist alas into the U.N. would help the world
to feel any more secure or would relieve the international tensions
we had been discussing, but that more substantive action would
be required to achieve these aims. He replied that this of course
would be only the beginning and that the vital point was that the
US and USSR must understand each other and make the most serious
efforts to arrange their differences.
. no appeared prepared to expand on this theme indefinitely, but
at tit (loint we were interrupted.
C0NT: The above conversation is reported at some length
largely bocause Timoshchenko has for some time been known to be
the most. fanatical, the most uncompromising, and the most anti.
America of the officials in the Soviet Embassy with whomAmericans
have contact. The fact that he should make such a point of the
necessity of Soviet/American understanding) even though entirely
on Soviet terms, would seem to suggest that this is a line which
he has been instructed to propogate.-
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-Charles W.
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R000600040013-8
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14 In past month (November) rocoived 4 invite. ions, all verbal,
to dine at the homes of the Soviet Military Mission. Three invitations have
come from Col. SE7EN1V, Military Attache of Soy Emb Kabul. The most recent
invitation came from Lt. Col. IMMIX, Assft Al Attache,
accepted and will dine w one or both as soon as arrangements can be made.
25X1A2d 1
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Approved For Release 2000/08/4.. : NIEL.165-00756R000600040013-8