Skip to content

January 21, 1963

Bulgarian Legation, Washington (Shterev), Cable to Foreign Ministry

This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation

Top Secret!

Making a copy is forbidden!

To be returned to Cipher

Department in 48 hours

 

INCOMING CABLE Nr. 650

21 January 1963

 

To: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

From: Washington

Written on 18 January at 11.00 am

 

During the lunch with the Greek Charge d’Affaires, Counselor Kalougeras, I learned that at the NATO session in December it had been decided to grant military assistance to Greece for 1963, amounting to 23 million dollars.

 

During the NATO session, Turkey once again put forward the question of accelerating its accession as an auxiliary member to the Common Market [i.e., European Economic Community, or EEC]. However, the western countries were not in a hurry since the bad economic situation in Turkey would be a heavy burden for the Common Market.

 

I was astonished by the fact that Kalougeras was continuously asking me about details on our relations with the United States – financial, cultural, etc. It seems as if Greece is once again concerned about our relationships with the US.

 

[Ambassador] SHTEREV[1]

 

Deciphered on 22 January 1963

 

 

Notes

 

[1] Kiril Shterev was Charge d’Affaires in US (1962-1963), and Ambassador to Canada (1967-1971), Iran (1973-1979), and Great Britain (1980-1987).

 

In his cable to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, Ambasador Kiril Shterev reports information about expected US assistance to Greece in 1963. Shterev acquired the information during lunch with the Greek Charge d' Affaires, Counselor Kalougeras. Kalougeras also mentioned Turkey's possible entrance into the European Economic Community and inquired about US-Bulgarian relations.



Related Documents

January 28, 1963

Bulgarian Consulate, Istanbul (Karadimov), Cable to Foreign Ministry

Bulgarian General Consul in Istanbul Dimo Karadimov reports to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry news of new ballistic missiles in Turkey. Specifically, Karadimov notes that the US military will replace Jupiter missiles with Polaris missiles within the year. Karadimov cannot confirm NATO's involvement.

February 12, 1963

Bulgarian Legation, Washington (Shterev), Cable to Foreign Ministry

Bulgaria's Charge d' Affaires to the US Kiril Shterev writes to the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs explaining that the US planned on stationing B47 bombers in Turkey once the Jupiter missiles are removed from Turkey. Shterev cites journalist Paul Scott as his source for the information about the display of the Unites States' military presence.

February 15, 1963

Bulgarian Legation, Washington (Shterev), Cable to Foreign Ministry

Bulgarian Charge d’Affaires in the US Kiril Shterev reports to the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that US Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatric stated that three submarines carrying Polaris missiles will be deployed to the Mediterranean Sea. The deployment follows US withdrawal from Italian and Turkish bases after the Cuban Missile Crisis.

June 6, 1963

Bulgarian Embassy, Athens (Minchev), Cable to Foreign Ministry

Bulgarian Embassy in Athens staff member Atanasov reports on Greek media accounts of military preparations to the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to Atanasov, Greek newspapers report preparations include Soviet movements in the Mediterranean in response to US submarines carrying Polaris missiles, Bulgarian maneuvers near the Greek and Turkish borders, and an anticipated NATO forward strategy in Greece. Atanasov adds that NATO is preparing the defense of possible attacks on Greece.

June 23, 1963

Bulgarian Foreign Ministry (Angelov), Cable to Bulgarian Embassy, Ankara

Deputy Forieng Minister Lubomir Angelov transmits to Bulgaria's embassy in Turkey information from Bulgarian Ambassador to Great Britain Radenko Grigorov. Angelov's message is handwritten and reports news about Soviet and US submarine presence in the Mediterranean, which initially Grigorov acquired from Turkey's ambassador to Great Britain.

July 5, 1963

Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Information Report on NATO

On 5 July 1963 the Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs completed an information report on NATO's activity during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In the report, the ministry outlines detailed espionage carried out by NATO agents. According to the report, the NATO Military Intelligence Services provided instructions for NATO member-states' military attaches stationed in Warsaw Pact countries and agents they could get to cooperate with them. Agents were to observe and report specific military intelligence collecting in Warsaw Pact countries -- arms deliveries, missile sites, military movements, etc. The report also includes explanation of how the attaches carried out their intelligence gathering -- reading official press, speaking in Russian and misrepresenting themselves as Russian, etc . The Bulgarian Interior Ministry notes that Western governments were well-informed of Bulgarian military structures -- including exact formations and secret designations.

Document Information

Source

Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic Archive, Opis 5s, a.e. 10, p. 12. Translated by Greta Keremidchieva and edited by Jordan Baev. Obtained by the Bulgarian Cold War Research Group.

Rights

The History and Public Policy Program welcomes reuse of Digital Archive materials for research and educational purposes. Some documents may be subject to copyright, which is retained by the rights holders in accordance with US and international copyright laws. When possible, rights holders have been contacted for permission to reproduce their materials.

To enquire about this document's rights status or request permission for commercial use, please contact the History and Public Policy Program at [email protected].

Original Uploaded Date

2013-02-04

Type

Cable

Language

Record ID

116256

Original Classification

Top Secret

Donors

Leon Levy Foundation