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May 24, 1951

Memorandum of Conversation, Soviet Ambassador to China N.V. Roshchin with Indian Ambassador K.M. Panikkar, 3 May 1951

This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation

From the diary of

N.V. Roshchin

Completely Secret, Copy no. 3

24 May 1951, no. 80

 

 

MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION

USSR Ambassador in the PRC, N.V. Roshchin with Indian Ambassador [K.M.] Panikkar, 3 May 1951

 

On 3 May I was present at a reception of the Indian ambassador Panikkar.  At the reception many different representatives were present.  During the reception Panikkar in conversation with me expressed his great frustration over his difficult situation regarding the export of grain from China.  He informed me that in the current situation in India there is no way to produce the quantity of grain that they could receive from China.  Panikkar was not interested in any other questions, and his attention the entire evening was riveted on the Czechoslovaks.  It is necessary to note that if only one or two people were invited from the embassy, from Czechoslovakia there were present the ambassador, an adviser, a correspondent, and an entire trade delegation.  This trade delegation was the primary focus of interest and conversation on the part of Panikkar and his embassy apparatus.  It is worth mentioning that the ambassador, his staff, and all the members of the trade delegation in the course of that evening or the following two days refrained from mentioning a word about Panikkar’s conversation with the trade delegation.

 

From among the diplomatic representatives of the democratic countries [the socialist bloc countries] there was complete suspicion about why there was such significant attention from the Indians paid to the Czechoslovaks.

 

 

 

On 3 May Roshchin was at a reception of the Indian ambassador Panikkar. At the reception many different representatives were present. During the reception Panikkar expressed his great frustration over his difficult situation regarding the export of grain from China, and informed that in the current situation in India there is no way to produce the quantity of grain that they could receive from China. There was given special attention to the Czechoslovak representatives and trade delegation.



Document Information

Source

AVPRF f. 0100, op. 44, p. 322, d. 13, l. 28-30. Obtained and translated by Austin Jersild.

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Original Uploaded Date

2013-04-08

Type

Diary Entry

Language

Record ID

116800

Original Classification

Secret

Donors

Leon Levy Foundation