Gorbachev), 23 June 1989

Parallel History Project on NATO and the Warsaw Pact (PHP) November 2000 The Irresistible Collapse of the Warsaw Pact www.isn.ethz.ch/php Edited by Jordan Baev and Anna Locher ______

Memorandum of Meeting between the General Secretary of the BCP (Zhivkov) and the General Secretary of the CPSU (Gorbachev), 23 June 1989

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INFORMATION

on the meeting between Com. Todor Zhivkov – Secretary General of CC BCP and Chairman of the State Council of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, and Com. Mikhail Gorbachev –Secretary General of CC CPSU and Chairman of the USSR Supreme Soviet

Moscow, 23 June1989, CC CPSU Building

In accordance with the restructuring of the socialist system and the new political thinking, the meeting dealt with Bulgarian and Soviet internal state developments, bilateral relations, relations among the socialist countries as well as issues of global, European and Balkan cooperation.

[…]

Com. Gorbachev pointed out that the Soviet leadership must maintain the international prestige and strategic initiative in order to realize its plans for the internal restructuring of the country. He drew attention especially to the necessity of reducing the extremely high defense expenditures, which exceed 18% of the national income. In the last years, the defense expenditures have increased twice as fast as the national income.

[…]

Com. Zhivkov informed [Gorbachev] about the Bulgarian restructuring process. He pointed out the attendant economic difficulties and the "Moslem" problem. He stated that the number of the "Moslems" has been increasing at the rate of 15-16,000 per year and that in 20 years Bulgaria could resemble Cyprus. He confirmed that the country was interested in the expatriation of 200, 300 and even 500 thousand Moslems, but at the same time said that this was impossible because Turkey has not been able to receive them. He also explicitly pointed out that in no case could or should Bulgaria admit that the Moslems are of Turkish nationality.

[…]

In respect to cooperation among the socialist countries, Com. Zhivkov proposed that at the forthcoming meeting of the Warsaw Treaty Political Consultative Committee, Bulgaria and the USSR should take a common position mutually agreed in advance. According to Com. Gorbachev, the discussion should be ______

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mainly on military-political questions … Com. Zhivkov proposed that Com. Gorbachev include in his statement the announcement that in principle the socialist countries do not renounce their internationalist duties and that in no case should a socialist regime be allowed to be altered… Com. Gorbachev repeatedly stressed the firm position of Soviet leadership that the responsibility for the situation in each country is its own problem.

[…]

Besides European and Balkan cooperation, the relations between the Soviet Union and Iran, the Federal Republic of Germany and China were discussed… Talking once again on the Turkish question, Com. Zhivkov drew attention to the setback in Bulgarian-Turkish relations due to Turkish interference in the internal affairs of Bulgaria. Com. Gorbachev informed [Zhivkov] that two days ago the Soviet Ambassador in Ankara, Com. Chernishev, had submitted to him a special message from Turgut Özal asking for assistance in initiating negotiations between Bulgaria and Turkey. Özal had said that Turkey was able to receive no more than 30,000 people per year. Com. Zhivkov agreed that both countries should meet but under no preliminary terms and agenda. He said that he had asked the Bulgarian Ambassador in Moscow to meet his Turkish colleague and tell him that a third country, the USA, had interest in such a development of Bulgarian-Turkish relations. He agreed that Com. Gorbachev submit his reply to Özal. Both leaders agreed that the announcement about their conversation should not mention their discussion of the Turkish problem.

[…]

[Source: Bulgarian Central State Archives, Fond 1b, Opis 35, a.e. 133-189, pp. 1-29. Summary by Vania Petkova]

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