Telegram 78178

From the Romanian Embassy in Vienna

To Comrade Director Virgil Constantinescu

Date: March 15, 1972

Classification: Secret

Regarding document Infcirc/158 published by the IAEA’s Secretariat - about the safeguards agreement between the IAEA, the US, and Taiwan (see telegram 78176 from March 14), we concluded:

1. The document was published under US pressure; the distribution was delayed until after the Board of Governors meeting from February 29 to avoid discussing the issue and taking a decision regarding the IAEA’s inspection in Taiwan.
2. As we have previously noted, the IAEA Legal Department believes that that the agreements with Taiwan, signed before the December resolution [regarding the international recognition of the People’s Republic of China], are valid as long as the Board of Governors does not take a different decision and concludes that the quoted resolution does not exclude the IAEA’s inspection in Taiwan. Not taking a different stance about publishing Infcirc/158 would mean, in the IAEA Secretariat’s interpretation, that there are no objections regarding the agreements with Taiwan and therefore, the inspection can be continued (they are already considering sending in inspectors in April this year).
3. It is possible that the IAEA’s Director General, who normally has a positive attitude towards breaking off any ties with the Taiwanese representatives, will wait for reactions to the published document following the December 1971 resolution, reactions which would force the Board to debate the issue and give directions to the Agency’s Director General.

[…]