Skip to content

Results:

1 - 10 of 59

Documents

September 19, 1958

Address by Mr. Frank Aiken to the United Nations General Assembly Official, 23th Session, 751st Plenary Meeting

Aiken’s landmark address to the plenary of the UN General Assembly on 19 September 1958 launched his non-proliferation campaign. It is the first time he publicly identified stopping the spread of nuclear weapons as a concrete step in the collective interest to unblock the disarmament impasse, preventing a runaway arms race among the powers of the Earth. It was clearly framed as part of his wider campaign for global governance based on the rule of law rather than the threat of force. For Aiken, the challenge was stabilizing the arms race and generating trust to construct a world order based on justice and law – “to preserve a Pax Atomica while we build a Pax Mundi.” This speech was a critical departure. The widespread positive reception encouraged Aiken, persuading him to draft a formal resolution.

June 14, 1994

State Minister Schmidbauer's Meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Velayati on 13 June 1994 at the Chancellor’s Office

Schmidbauer and Velayati discuss the release of a German prisoner in Iran as a precondition for Germany's support of Iran's request for closer association with the European Community.

February 28, 1994

State Minister Schmidbauer's Meeting with Iran's Vice Foreign Minister Vaezi on 25 February 1994 at the Chancellor's Office

Schmidtbauer and Vaezi discuss the state of bilateral negotiatins on debt rescheduling as well as Iran's aspirations for closer contacts with the European Community. Vaezi asks for support during Germany's EC Presidency in the second half of 1995. Schmidbauer insists on the release of a German prisoner in Iran as a gesture of goodwill.

November 13, 1991

The Chancellor's [Helmut Kohl's] Meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzales on Wednesday, 13 November 1991

Kohl and Gonzalez discuss the implications of the Yuguslavia War on the cohesion of the European Community. Both have a shared concern that the EC could be torn apart. Eventually, they discuss preparations for the Europoean Council in Maastricht in December 1991.

September 10, 1991

The Chancellor's [Helmut Kohl's] Conversation with the President of the EC Commission, Jacques Delors, on Monday, 9 September 1991, 16:40 until 16:55 hours

Kohl and Delors examine the role of the European Community in the stabilization of the Soviet Union's economy including financial aid.

June 3, 1991

The Chancellor's [Helmut Kohl's] Meeting with President Mitterrand on Thursday, 30 May 1991, in Lille (working breakfast)

Kohl and Mitterrand confer on NATO, European security and the idea of establishing a common security and defense policy under the roof of the European Community.

October 2, 1967

Letter from Derek Day (Foreign Office) to Michael Palliser (Private Secretary for Foreign Affairs to the Prime Minister)

Responding to a request from Michael Palliser (Wilson's Private Secretary for foreign affairs), the Foreign Office's seasoned Europe-watcher Derek Day argued that the government needed to balance three – sometimes conflicting – UK interests. First, there was the position as a European power, particularly with regard to the ongoing EEC application. Second, there was the UK's status as a nuclear power, in which the UK shared “special responsibilities” with the US, exemplified by the UK's acquisition of Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missiles as its primary nuclear deterrent. Third, there was the desire to see a non-proliferation treaty concluded, which sometimes meant disagreement with both the United States and the Soviet Union. Day contended that the United Kingdom seemed to have been successful in positioning itself as understanding European anxieties, with Bonn having congratulated Wilson's administration on bring “good Europeans.” Day's assessment was seen and lauded by Wilson, who hoped that it was correct.

May 18, 1967

Memorandum for the Prime Minister, 'Non-Proliferation'

By the early summer of 1967, Foreign Secretary George Brown felt compelled to comment that "if the situation should arise in which there is a direct confrontation between the United States and Russians on one side—and the members of EURATOM on the other, on the issue of the acceptability of EURATOM safeguards we should have to consider our position very carefully: the whole success of our European policy might depend on the choice we made. For the present it should therefore be a major aim of our policy at Geneva to see that things do not reach such a state." This came only a week after Wilson formally launched the UK's bid to become a member of the EEC, and two days after De Gaulle cast doubt on Britain's fitness to join the community.

October 15, 2020

Interview with Eran Lerman

Eran Lerman is a former Israeli intelligence officer. He served as a member of the Israeli delegation to ACRS. 

November 2, 2020

Interview with Shimon Stein

Shimon Stein is a former Israeli diplomat. He served as a member of the Israeli delegation to ACRS. 

Pagination