Letter from Vogel to Comrade Fiedler

GDR Council of Ministers

Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Main Department for Consular Affairs

1020 Berlin, 1 August 1989

Marx-Engels-Platz 2

Ministry for State Security

Head of Passport Control Unit

Comrade Major General Fiedler

Berlin

Dear Comrade Fiedler!

Referring to my previous letter of 27 June 1989 on the intended issuance of an “exit permit” by the DPRK Embassy for DPRK students, aspirants, and interns in the GDR I want to inform you about the following:

The DPRK Embassy provided referencing its Note #112 of 14 June 1989, and taken into consideration GDR advice regarding initial draft templates presented, the attached new exit permit templates with the request to allow exit travel by these DPRK individuals from the GDR (travel to the DPRK included) only when they are in possession of the respective permit. Besides the travel destination, the template contains an expiration date which allows single or multiple exits in the period concerned. The permit will be sealed but not signed.

According to explanations by the embassy

• students, aspirants, and interns functioning as designated group leaders will have a service passport with light brown cover,
• and the majority of students, aspirants, and interns staying in the GDR will have a passport with blue cover and the printed stamp “For an official trip”, i.e. they are in possession of travel documents granting visa-free entry into the GDR and respective exit.

I would be grateful for short-term information from what date travel with those documents will be granted.

With socialist greetings

(signed) Vogel

Head of Main Department

Enclosures

20 templates