Department of State

 

 

TELEGRAM

 

CONFIDENTIAL 854

 

 

 

MOSCOW 06460 0316402

41

ACTION NEA-11

INFO     : OCT-01 EUR-14 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PM-06 H-02 INR-06 NSAE-00 NSC-10   

           P- 03 RSC­Ol PRS-01 SS-14 USIA-12 NIC-O1 AID-20 SR-02 ORM-03 RSR-01 /

           130W 083881

P R 031410 Z SEP 71

FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4703

INFO AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD

AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI

AMEMBASSY KABUL

CONFIDENTIAL MOSCOW 6460

SUB: VISIT OF FOREIGN SECRETARY (PAKISTAN)

 

1. Pakistan Ambassador Marker told me this morning his Foreign Secretary is due to arrive September 4 for talks with Soviets which will begin September 6 and will last three or four days. He will stay at Sovietskaya Hotel as official visitor and Soviets have been most cooperative in making arrangements, including appointments with Gromyko.

 

2. Marker thought discussions would be made easier by latest liberalization measures in East Pakistan. Pakistanis intended to take offensive against Indian propaganda alleging number of refugees to be in the vicinity of six million. Marker said the number was actually two million and Pakistanis had evidence Indians were obstructing refugee return although some 300,000 had recently come back. According to Marker, it is well known that Indians prevented the return of six elected East Pakistan deputies who had been cleared to take their seats in Parliament.

 

3. In reply to question, Marker said he did not believe Soviets had deliberately killed "spirit of Tashkent" but support of India offered greater rewards in enhancing expansion of Soviet influence and circumscribing Chinese. Actually, day-to-day Soviet-Pakistani relations continued normal and Soviets still interested in aiding development projects.

 

4. Marker said he had information that Indians had floated idea of friendship­consultation-nonagression treaties with Afghanistan, Indonesia and Malaysia. Afghan ambassador here had advised against idea. Marker is not clear in his mind to what extent India is pursuing its own interests or may be serving as Soviet stalking horse.

GP-3.

Beam

 

 

 

Source: The American Papers - Secret and Confidential India. Pakistan. Bangladesh Documents 1965- 1973, The University Press

                Limited, p. 662.