Politburo decision. Delivery to Palestine Liberation Organisation of “special property” from Syrian Arab Republic to Tunisia, two West German-made speedboats (6 pp). [R 21 June 1983, Pb 113-110]
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[Translator’s Notes are bracketed]
Workers of the world, unite!
Return within 3 days to the CC KPSU (General dept., section [illegible])
Communist Party of the Soviet Union, CENTRAL COMMITTEE
Top Secret Special File
To Comrades: ANDROPOV, TIKHONOV, GROMYKO, USTINOV,
CHERNENKO, PONOMARYOV, RYABOV, CHEBRIKOV, SMERTYUKOV
Extract from the minutes #113 of the Polit. Bureau of the CC KPSU of the 21 June 1983.
On delivery of Palestine Liberation Organization’s special property from Syrian Arab Republic to Tunisian Republic
- Approve the draft of the Council of Ministers’ directive on this matter (attached).
- Sign off the drafts of the instructions to the Soviet ambassadors in Syrian Arab Republic and Tunisian Republic (attached).
CC Secretary [no name / signature] #1 Council of Ministers’ directive
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF THE USSR
DIRECTIVE
of_____ June 1983 Moscow, Kremlin
- According to the Palestine Liberation Organization request, agree to:
- free-of-charge delivery of two speedboats belonging to the Palestine Liberation Organization by a Soviet ship from Syrian Arab Republic to Tunisian Republic in 1983, providing the Tunisian consent. Allow the State Committee on Economic Contacts to perform the said delivery without signing a formal agreements with the Syrian and Tunisian sides;
- on the Soviet expense, providing the Syrian and Tunisian consent, send Soviet professionals from the Naval Ministry to determine the scope of the preparatory works for transporting the speedboats on the Soviet ship and help with loading and unloading the speedboats.
- The State Committee on Economic Contacts shall negotiate with the Syrian and Tunisian sides re. #1. In the process of the negotiation, suggest to PLO to pay for the delivery fully or partially with convertible currency.
- When the agreement is reached, task the Naval Ministry with:
- send a professional to Syria to determine the scope of the preparatory works for transporting the speedboats on a Soviet ship of the RO-FLOW [ship with a horizontal loading dock below waterline] type and help with loading of the speedboats.
- send a professional to Tunisia to and help with unloading of the speedboats.
- upon the State Committee on Economic Contacts’ request, assign a ship to deliver the speedboats from Syria to Tunisia in accordance with this directive.
- Charge the expenses connected with free help in accordance this directive:
- charge the Soviet rubles to the USSR State Budget for free help to foreign countries.
- charge the foreign currency to the State Committee on Economic Contacts currency plan.
Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR
Top Secret Special File
To: DAMASKUS Soviet Ambassador
Special #379. Visit the Foreign Minister of Syrian Arab Republic, or another official who will be appointed to see you, and considering the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) request and Syrian consent expressed by the Syrian Foreign Minister in his conversation with the Soviet Ambassador, convey to him that the Soviet side agrees to deliver two speedboats belonging to PLO to the Tunisian Republic in 1983.
If the Syrian side agrees, the Soviet side could send a professional to determine the scope of the preparatory works for transporting the speedboats on the Soviet ship and help with loading the speedboats.
Telegraph when done.
To the item 110 of the minutes #113
Top Secret Special File
To: TUNIS Soviet Ambassador
Meet the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) chairman Ya. ARAFAT and convey to him that the Soviet government found a possibility to deliver two speedboats belonging to PLO to the Tunisian Republic in 1983 and secured the Syrian consent. The Soviet side request to communicate the port of delivery in a timely manner.
The coordination is assumed between the Tunisian side and PLO regarding the delivery of the two speedboats belonging to PLO to the Tunisian Republic and subsequent transfer to PLO. The Soviet side will be ready to perform the delivery after securing an official consent of the Tunisian side.
Moreover, if the Tunisian side agrees, the Soviet side could send a professional to help with unloading the speedboats from the Soviet ship.
Delivery expenses will be approximately $400.000 US.
Telegraph when done.
Minutes #113, item 110 Sent to every member of the CC KPSU Polit. Bureau for voting
Top Secret
Special File
CC KPSU
On delivery of Palestine Liberation Organization’s special property from Syrian Arab Republic to Tunisian Republic
According to the report of Soviet Ambassador in Syrian Arab Republic (special #379), a Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) representative in the name of the PLO Chairman Ya. ARAFAT, contacted the Soviet side with a request to help to deliver from Syrian Arab Republic (port Latakia) two coast guard speedboats built in West Germany and belonging to PLO to the Tunisian Republic. The Syrian side has confirmed its consent to remove the speedboats. The delivery expenses will be approximately 300.000 rubles.
The Ministry of Defense and the State Committee on Economic Contacts offer to deliver free of charge two speedboats belonging to PLO from Syria to Tunisia, providing Tunisian side’s consent.
Coordinated with the Ministry of Defense (comrade KORNIENKO G.M.) and Ministry of Civil Navy (comrade GUZHENKO TB.)
Draft of the CC KPSU directive attached.
- USTINOV Ya. RYABOV
16 June 1983 # 01/3-4/25498 8-69
УК-1771
The Bukovsky Archives 