Deputy Minister Winiewicz, 'Record of Conversation with the Chargé d'Affaires of Denmark, Jan. 20, 1958'

34

January 21, deputy minister Winiewicz’s record of conversation

with the chargé d’affaires of the Danish embassy on Khrushchev’s visit

and the Rapacki Plan

^hWarsaw, Jan. 21, 1958

Top secret^h

Record

of conversation with the chargé d’affaires of Denmark, Jan. 20, 1958

At a reception given by the Argentinian envoy for the Bartols, I spoke, among others the Danish chargé d’affaires J.V. Rechendorff. I have noted the salient points:

1) Among the [members of] the diplomatic corps, the dominant topic of conversation are guesses as to the purpose of Khrushchchev’s visit to Poland.^4[1]0 The assumption is that one of the topics, one that our leadership discussed during the visit, was continued Soviet support for the Rapacki Plan in its 'unadulterated form' in order to secure non-proliferation of the Plan on other countries, which could make negotiations with the West more difficult.

^e2) The Rapacki Plan enjoys considerable interest in Denmark, just as in most European countries. In the spring, the Danish foreign minister is going to Yugoslavia, where he intends to discuss the 'European implications of the Plan' with Tito.^e

3) Most Western diplomats in Warsaw: reject the guesses of 'some Western periodicals and governments' to the effect that the R. Plan is actually inspired by the USSR, and recognizes the Polish government’s authorship.

^h4) The chiefs of the Danish missions have been instructed to closely monitor the entire Bulganin’s correspondence and its echoes in the respective countries. R. complained that all the Soviet notes are too long.^h4[2]1

/–/ Winiewicz

AMSZ, ZD 6/77, w. 59, t. 829

⁴⁰ Nikita Khrushchev visited Poland on January 17–19. In a brief report 'The stay of comrade Khrushchev in Poland' [the party daily] Trybuna Ludu of January 18 wrote: ”During his holiday on the Polish-Soviet frontier First Secretary of the CC CPSU comrade N.S. Khrushchev was invited to Poland by the First Secretary CC PUWP, comrade W. Gomułka and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers comrade J. Cyrankiewicz. During his three-day stay, comrade N.S. Khrushchev conducted talks with the leading activist of the PUWP [Polish United Workers’ Party] and of the Polish government. The atmosphere of these talks was cordial and friendly.”

⁴¹ The document was sent (as a code message) to embassies in Belgrade and Copenhagen.