Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
DRAFT
CONFIDENTIAL
(w/6,
Type 1 +
FROM
To:-
Brief for Joint British-
Soviet Maritime
Telephone No. Ext.
Commission, 5th Session
Department
a
In Confidence
Mr Newman
MTD
ANGLO-SOVIET RELATIONS: VISAS
Background
1. After the icy period which followed our expulsions
of Soviet officials in September 1971, our relations
with the Soviet Union are now much improved.
Sir Alec Douglas-Home paid a successful visit to
Moscow last December.
Mr Heath hopes to follow him
later this year. A long-term Anglo-Soviet Economic
Co-operation Agreement is soon to be signed.
In
sum, we now have a basis for the kind of relationship
with the Soviet Union which we ought to have with a
power of its importance, and for which we on our side
have always been ready.
made
2. We have/no concessions to achieve this. We have
not simply reverted to the situation which obtained
before the expulsions of 1971. That step was forced
upon us by systematic and intolerable Soviet behaviou¬
over a long period. We have ever since maintained a
firm attitude on this point. The joint Communiqué
issued after Sir Alec Douglas-Home's visit spoke of
a shared desire to see Anglo-Soviet relations develop
'on a basis of mutual respect'. Provided this is
observed, we now have a better foundation for relations
with Moscow than has existed for many years.
3. To this context belongs our firm line on the rest-
rictions we imposed after the expulsions on the Soviet
(3002) Dmd. 145244 400M 10/73 L.Ltd. 839/1
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.