2 September 1980* (St 226/4) Peace movement

Secretariat. Response to a Belgian initiative for nuclear disarmament and safety of non-nuclear countries (9 pp). [R 2 September 1980, St 226/4] Excerpt.

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[page one of nine]

Workers of all Lands, Unite!

COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE SOVIET UNION. CENTRAL COMMITTEE

[Vertical text along left-hand margin]
Return to CPSU Central Committee (General Department, sector 2)
[illegible] (Central Committee Resolution No 12/4, 17 June 1976)

Top Secret

No St 226/4, 2 September 1980

Excerpt from item 4, Minutes No. 226 of the Central Committee Secretariat

About an initiative of public circles in Belgium

Instruct the International and General Departments of the CPSU Central Committee, together with the USSR Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Defence to further consider this question in the light of the exchange of views Limit to an exchange of views at the meeting of the Central Committee Secretariat and put forward proposals to the CPSU Central Committee.

SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE

[page two]

No St 226/4, 2 September 1980

Top Secret
SPECIAL FILE

RESOLUTION
of the Secretariat of the CPSU Central Committee

About an initiative of public circles in Belgium

Instruct the International and General Departments of the CPSU Central Committee, together with the USSR Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Defence to further consider this question in the light of the exchange of views Limit to an exchange of views at the meeting of the Central Committee Secretariat and put forward proposals to the CPSU Central Committee.

SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE

 

Results of vote:

Adopted at the meeting of the CPSU Central Committee Secretariat, 19 August 1980

Central Committee Secretaries, Comrades:

Suslov- for
Chernenko – for
Gorbachev – for
Kapitonov – for
Dolgikh – for

Excerpts to: Comrades Gromyko, Ustinov, Ponomaryov, Rusakov

[page three]

Secret

To the CPSU Central Committee

About an initiative of public circles in Belgium

The noted Belgian public figure, former government minister, and member of the Socialist Party, A de Smaele, who is an active participant of the Brussels movement for European security, has informed Soviet officials of his intention to put forward an idea aimed at strengthening the security of Europe’s non-nuclear nations. The main motive behind this proposal, he emphasised, was the deep concern of the European public when faced by the proliferation of nuclear weapons in Europe by the militarist forces of the USA and NATO.

De Smaele’s proposal is that the public in European countries that do not posses nuclear weapons should strive to secure the status of non-nuclear States for their countries. He lays primary significance on the refusal by countries where nuclear weapons are already deployed to increase their numbers and deploy new types of nuclear missile, and, in future, the reduction and total removal of the already existing nuclear weapons. […]

[page four]

[…]

In the near future the Belgians intend to discuss this proposal with the representatives of the public in other socialist countries and also of neutral and non-aligned countries in Europe.

Such a public discussion would now help to strengthen the struggle against the deployment in Western Europe of the new types of medium-range American missiles. At the same time, it is essential that the Friends with whom de Smaele and his group will be in consultation on this issue take note that the draft proposal for guarantees of security to non-nuclear countries in its present form differs from the position agreed between the socialist countries; those Friends should use discussion of the ideas put forward by de Smaele to further the promotion of our known proposals in Western political circles […]

[page five]

Deputy head of Central Committee International Department
V. Shaposhnikov

Deputy head of the Central Committee Department for relations with Communist Parties and workers’ parties in socialist countries
O. Rakhmanin

25-S-1395

11 August 1980

[pages seven to nine – text of telegram to Soviet ambassadors in Warsaw, Berlin, Sofia, Bucharest (for information), Prague and Brussels (for information)]

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NOTES

General

1. Notes by translator and editor are bracketed, thus [ ]
2. Text written by hand is indicated in italic script, and
3. by underlined italic script when a handwritten phrase, figure or word has been added
to a previously typed document.

Translation, JC