FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1:9 4 6, VOLUTM  VI



761.74/2-2246
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Chef of the Di.iion of
             Southern European Affair8 (Barbwr)

                                 [WASHINGTON,] February 22,1946.
Participants: Lt. Gen. Vladimir Stoichev, Informal Bulgarian Polit-
                ical Representative in the United States;
              Mr. Cohen, Counselor,
              Mr. Barbour, Acting Chief, SE
  Mr. Cohen today received General Stoichev, informal Bulgarian
Political Representative in this country, and after summarizing orally
to him the views of this Government in regard to the execution of the
Moscow decision concerning Bulgaria, handed General Stoichev an
aide-dmwoire in that conversational Mr. Cohen emphasized that it
was and is the attitude of this Government that, if both the Bulgarian
Government and opposition endeavor in a spirit of conciliation to find
a mutually agreeable basis for the inclusion of two truly representative
members of the opposition into the government, it will be possible to
carry out the arrangement agreed on at Moscow. In answer to Gen-
eral Stoichev's inquiry as to what conditions the U.S. Government
would consider as forming a reasonable basis for the participation of
opposition representatives, Mr. Cohen indicated that we did not wish
to specify particular conditions and reiterated that the matter is one
which should be capable of solution by the Government and the opposi-
tion themselves if a sincere spirit of conciliation exists on both sides.
Mr. Cohen added that we hope that no action will be taken by either
side to acerbate the situation in the meantime and said that we would
regret it if any recriminations should be made by either side against
the other which could not fail to make ultimate agreement more
difficult.

740.00119 EW/2-746: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Charge in the Soviet Union (Kennan)

RESTRICTED                 WASHINGTON, February 25, 1946-6 p. m.
  324. We are unable to accept position taken by Gen. Biryusov in
his communication quoted in Sofia's Tel. 129, Feb. 7. Regardless of

  z For text of the aide-mdmoire of February 22, 1946, from Cohen to Stoichev,
-see Department of State Bulletin, March 17, 1946, p. 447. The text of the
aide-
mlmoire was also delivered to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry on February
25
and to the Soviet Foreign Commissariat on February 27. On March 5, the
British Political Representative in Bulgaria informed the Bulgarian Foreign
Minister that the British Government shared the views set forth in the aide-
mtndmoire of February 22.



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