TEXT OF GROMYKO LETTER TO WALDHEIM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-230-9-11-4
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: March 19, 2010
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: September 16, 1972
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/03/19: LOC-HAK-230-9-11-4
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1EXT OF GROMYKO LETTER TO WALDHEIM
L
L171946 MOSCOW TASS INTERNATIONAL SERVICE IN ENGLISH
2230 GMT 16 SEP 72 L
(TEXT) MOSCOW SEPTEMBER 17 TASS?-ON INSTRUCTION FROM THE
REIGN MINISTER OF THE USSR, ANDREY GROMYKO, THE SOVIET
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE AT THE UNITED NATIONS, YAKOV MALIK,
HANDED THE FOLLOWING LETTER TO UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY
GENERAL KURT WALDHEIM:
"ESTEEMED MR SECRETARY GENERAL,
"THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT SUGGESTS THAT THE QUESTION OF
ON-USE OF FORCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND OF
BANNING FOR ALL TIME THE USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS SHOULD BE
RuT ON THE AGENDA OF THE 27TH SESSION OF THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY AS AN IMPORTANT AND URGENT QUESTION,
"THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL SITUATION AT THE
PRESENT STAGE SHOWS THAT THE TREND TO EASING INTERNATIONAL
TENSIONS, THE STRIVING TO BUILD RELATIONS AMONG THE STATES
ON THE BASIS OF THE PRINCIPLES OF PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE, IS
STEADILY GAINING GROUND. THE STATES HAVE TAKEN A NUMBER OF
(DNCRETE STEPS LEADING TO THE CONSOLIDATION OF INTERNATIONAL
SECURITY AND TO THE SLOWING OF THE ARMS RACE. THIS WAS
FEFLECTED IN THE IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTS OF THE RECENT
PERIOD.
"THIS FAVOURABLE DEVELOPMENT IS PARTICULARLY MARKED ON
THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT., THE WELL-KNOWN TREATIES BETWEEN
THE USSR AND THE FRG AND BETWEEN THE POLISH PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC
AND THE FRG PLACE THE SEAL OF INTERNATIONAL LAW ON THE PLEDGE
OF THE STATES TO KEEP FROM THE THREAT OR THE USE OF
FORCE IN THEIR MUTUAL RELATIONS AND IN THE QUESTIONS
FERTAINING TO SECURITY IN EUROPE AND INTERNATIONAL
SECURITY. THE WORK TO PREPARE A EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON
SECURITY AND COOPERATION HAS ENTERED ITS PRACTICAL STAGE.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/03/19: LOC-HAK-230-9-11-4
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/03/19 : LOC-HAK-230-9-11-4
"A`'NUMBER_OF`AG'REEMENTSAmIN HE FIELD OF THE LIMITATION
OF THE ARMS RACE AND DISARMAMENT WERE ACHIEVED OF LATE.
THE CONVENTION BANNING THE PRODUCTION OF BACTERIOLOGICAL
WEAPONS AND CALLING FOR LIQUIDATION OF ITS STOCKPILES HAS
ErEN CONCLUDED. IT BECAME A REAL STEP TOWARD DISARMAMENT.
THE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE USSR AND THE UNITED STATES ON
STRATEGIC ARMS LIMITATION ARE CALLED UPON TO PLAY AN
IMPORTANT ROLE IN CURBING THE NUCLEAR MISSILE ARMS RACE.
THESE AGREEMENTS, AS WELL AS THE TREATY BANNING NUCLEAR
WEAPONS TESTS IN THREE MEDIA CAS RECEIVED )v THE TREATY ON
NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION, AND THE TREATY BANNING THE
MILITARY USES OF THE SEABED AND OCEAN FLOOR HELP LESSEN THE
DANGER OF AN OUTBREAK OF NUCLEAR WAR.
"WHILE WITNESSING THESE ACHIEVEMENTS IN ENSURING
FEACE AND PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE, ONE SHOULD NOT LOSE SIGHT
OF THE FACT THAT ARMED CONFLICTS CONTINUE IN DIFFERENT
AREAS OF THE WORLD, THAT THE ARMS RACE GOES ON9 THAT THE
THREAT OF A WORLD THERMO-NUCLEAR WAR HAS NOT BEEN
LIQUIDATED. ATTEMPTS ARE MADE TO SUPPRESS BY FORCE THE
PEOPLES" STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE. ALL THIS
CANNOT BUT CAUSE PROFOUND CONCERN FOR THE DESTINIES OF
WORLD PEACE AND SECURITY.
"THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT, UNDER THE
PRESENT CONDITIONS, THE UNITED NATIONS HAS A TASK TO
CONSOLIDATE THE SUCCESSES ACHIEVED IN EASING INTERNATIONAL
TENSIONS AND TO TAKE MEASURES THAT WOULD HELP LIQUIDATE
THE EXISTING CONFLICTS AND WOULD CREATE CONDITIONS FOR
PREVENTING THE OUTBREAK OF WAR AND ARMED CLASHES AMONG STATES.
"AN ANALYSIS OF THE PRESENT INTERNATIONAL SITUATION
LEADS TO THE CONCLUSION THAT CONSISTENT IMPLEMENTATION
BY ALL STATES OF THE PRINCIPLE OF RENOUNCING THE USE OF
FORCE COVERING ALL TYPES OF ARMAMENTS, INCLUDING NUCLEAR
WEAPONS, WHICH ARE THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE WEAPONS OF MASS
EXTERMINATION, IS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF ACHIEVING THIS END.
N A NUCLEAR AGE MANKIND HAS NO OTHER WAY THAN PEACEFUL
COEXISTENCE OF STATES, WHICH, ABOVE ALL t PRF-SUPPOSES THE
RENUNCIATION OF THE USE OF FORCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
AND THE SOLUTION OF CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES EXCEPTIONALLY BY
FEACEFUL MEANS.
(MORE)
18 SEP 0959Z PK/TM
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/03/19: LOC-HAK-230-9-11-4
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/03/19 : LOC-HAK-230-9-11-4
1s IS 28
ONLY ADD 26 (GROMYKO LETTER TEXT)
XXX BY PEACEFUL MEANS.
(TEXT) "RENOUNCING THE USE OF FORCE COVERING ALL MEANS OF
WARFARE IS ONE OF THE CRUCIAL PRINCIPLES OF THE U.N. CHARTER.
THE U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS REPEATEDLY TAKEN RESOLUTIONS CALLING
ON ALL STATES TO RENOUNCE THE USE OF FORCE IN THEIR MUTUAL
RELATIONSHIPS. THE PRINCIPLE OF THE NON-USE OF FORCE HAS FOUND
CONFIRMATION IN A NUMBER OF THE LATEST DOCUMENTS OF THE
U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT MET WITH THE BROAD SUUPPORT OF
THE STATES, THE DECLARATION ON STRENGTHENING INTERNATIONAL
'FECURITY AMONG THEM.
"AT PRESENT, AS A RESULT OF THE STEPS UNDERTAKEN
BY THE ORDER TO EASE INTERNATIONAL TENSIONS AND CURE THE ARMS RACE,TMORE IN
FAVOURABLE PREREQUISITES HAVE BEEN CREATED FOR GOING STILL FURTHER
IN SOLVING THE QUESTION OF RENOUNCING THE USE OF FORCE INVOLVING
ALL KINDS OF ARMAMENTS AND BANNING THE USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
"DELIBERATIONS BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE SOVIET-PROPOSED
WESTION "ON THE NON-USE OF FORCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND
BANNING FOR ALL TIME OF THE USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS AS WELL AS THE
ADOPTION BY THE ASSEMBLY OF AN APPROPRIATE RESOLUTION WILL UNDOUBTEDL'
,CONSTITUTE A MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION T
O STRONGER INTE
RNATIONAL
~CURITY AND THE PREVENTION OF THE OUTBREAK OF ARMED CONFLICTS.
"THE RENUNCIATION OF THE USE OF FORCE OUGHT TO
COVER A BAN ON THE USE OF ALL KINDS OF WEAPONS
BOTH
AND NUCLEAR. SUCH AN APPROACH IS DICTATED BY THEENTIREVENTI4NAL
EXPERIENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF POSTWAR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.
"HOW IMPORTANT IS THE TASK OF BANNING THE USE OF ALL KINDS
OF ARMAMENTS CAN BE SEEN FROM THE FACT THAT QUITE A NUMBER OF
ARMED CONFLICTS ON DIFFERENT SCALES HAVE BROKEN OUT SINCE
THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR. THEY WERE ALL CONDUCTED
WITH THE AID OF CONVENTIONAL ARMS. THESE CONFLICTS CAUSED
THE DEATH OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND INFLICTED UNTOLD SUFFERING
ON MANY PEOPLES. THE FIRST TO FALL VICTIM TO THESE CONFLICTS
WERE THE PEOPLES THAT HAD RISEN TO STRUGGLE FOR LIBERATION
RWM THE COLONIAL YOKE. BY NOW THE DESTRUCTIVE FORCE OF EVEN
CONVENTIONAL MEANS OF WARFARE HAS GROWN SO MUCH THAT
THEIR WIDE USE MAY LEAD TO THE ANNIHILATION OF ENTIRE NATIONS.
EESIDES, IN THIS EPOCH A LOCAL CONFLICT WITH THE USE OF
CONVENTIONAL ARMS ENHANCES THE ANGER OF THE OUTBREAK OF A
NUCLEAR-MISSILE WAR WITH THE USE OP MODERN MEANS LASS Al S,TRr-r.1r Q~T~.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/03/19: LOC-HAK-230-9-11-4
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/03/19 : LOC-HAK-230-9-11-4
IF THE QUESTION OF THE NONUSE OF FORCE ENVISAGES
THE STATES OF THE WORLD WILL FIND THEMSELVES IN AN EQUAL
POSITION, NONE OF THEM GAINING UNILATERAL MILITARY
ADVANTAGES. THE SIMULTANEOUS BANNING OF THE USE OF BOTH
NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND CONVENTIONAL ARMAMENTS FULLY CORRESPONDS
TO THE PRINCIPLE OF ENSURING THE EQUAL SECURITY OF STATES.
"THE BROADEST POSSIBLE CIRCLE OF STATES AND, OF COURSE,
FIRST OF ALL, ALL THE NUCLEAR POWER, THAT POSSESS THE BIGGEST
MILITARY POTENTIAL, MUST TAKE PART IN SOLVING THE QUESTION
CF THE NON-USE OF FORCE AND THE BANNING FOR ALL TIME OF THE
USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
BAN ON THE USE OF ALL KINDS OF WEAPONS. THEN ALL
"THE PLEDGE TO KEEP FROM THE USE OF FORCE AND TO BAN THE
USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IS COMPLETELY IN KEEPING WITH THE UNITED
NOTIONS CHARTER AND MUST BE IMPLEMENTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS MOST IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENT.
THE PLEDGE TO KEEP FROM THE USE OF FORCE, NATURALLY DOES
NOT MEAN THAT THE STATES WAIVE THEIR INALIENABLE RIGHT
30 INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE DEFENCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 51 OF
THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER. THE RENUNCIATION OF THE USE OF FORCE
DOES NOT INFRINGE ON THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLES, INCLUDING THE
FEOPLES OF THE OPPRESSED, COLONIAL COUNTRIES, TO FIGHT
AGAINST AGGRESSION, FOR LIQUIDATION OF ITS CONSEQUENCES,
10 FIGHT FOR FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE, FOR THE LEGITIMATE
INTERESTS USING ALL THE MEANS IN THIS STRUGGLE.
"THE RENUNCIATION OF THE USE OF FORCE IN INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS AND THE BANNING OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR ALL TIME WOULD
BE AN IMPORTANT MORAL AND POLITICAL COMMITMENT OF THE STATES
WHOSE IMPLEMENTATION WOULD LEAD TO SERIOUS, POSITIVE CHANGES IN
THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. IT WOULD HELP CONSOLIDATING
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND WOULD CREATE THE MORE FAVOURABLE
FREREQUISITES FOR ENDING THE ARMS RACE AND ACHIEVING
DISARMAMENT. THE STATES WOULD BE ABLE TO ALLOCATE MUCH VASTER
RESOURCES FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR.COUNTRIES
AND FOR IMPROVING THE LIVING STANDARDS OF THE PEOPLES.
"PLEASE, MR. SECRETARY GENERAL, REGARD THIS LETTER AS A
MEMORANDUM UNDER RULE 20 OF THE PROCEDURAL RULES OF THE UNITED
NOTIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND HAVE IT CIRCULATED AS AN OFFICIAL
DOCUMENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
"YOURS RESPECTFULLY, A. .IROMYKO, THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF THE USSR."
AN UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION.
18 SEP 1035Z DW/GFE
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/03/19: LOC-HAK-230-9-11-4