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Documents on Germany, 1944-1959 : background documents on Germany, 1944-1959, and a chronology of political developments affecting Berlin, 1945-1956
(1959)
Communiqué on talks between Foreign Minister von Brentano and Secretary of State Dulles, regarding German reunification and European security, March 5, 1957, pp. 202-203
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Page 202
DOCUMENTS ON\ GERMANY, 1944-59 a copy of the reply which it has returned to the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Government of the United States attaches great importance to the reunification of Germany, which is a basic objective of its policy. It is convinced that the continued division of Germany miust be brought to an end in the interests not only of the Germans them- selves but of all nations anxious to safeguard the peace of Europe. The Governments of France, the United Kingdom, the Union, of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States have on various occasions acknowledged their responsibility for bringing about the re- unification of Germany, and agreed in the directive given by the Heads of Government of the Four Powers to their Foreign Ministers in July 1955 to carry out: this responsibility. No progress has been made since then. The detailed proposals put forward by the West- ern Powers at the subsequent Foreign Ministers' Conference, which were designed both to end the division of Germany and to establish ;a firm system of European security, have met with no affirmative response from the Soviet Union. The Government of the United States therefore hopes that the Soviet Government will give careful consideration to the German memorandum and will, in response to the initiative taken by! the Federal Government, state its view as to how effect can be given to the agreement made by the four Heads of Government at Geneva to restore German unity by means of free elections. Communique on Talks Between Foreign Minister von Brentano and Secretary of State Dulles, Regarding German Reunification and European Security, March 5,19571 Foreign Minister Heinrich von Brentano of the Federal Republic of Germany and Secretary of State Dulles today concluded the offi- cial talks which they have held during the Foreign Minister's cur- rent visit to Washington. These talks covered a broad range of current world problems of mutual concern to both governments and afforded an opportunity for a full and frank exchange of views. Particular attention was devoted to an assessment of the general political situation in the light of recent developments in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The talks have served to emphasize and reinforce the community of in- terest and the harmony of views which exist between the two govern- ments with regard to the problems confronting them. The Foreign Minister and the Secretary of State reaffirmed that the reunification of Germany in freedom remains a fundamental ob- jective of the policies of their governments. They were in agreement that recent developments in Eastern Europe have served to emphasize the urgent necessity for a solution of the problem of German reuni- fication in the absence of which there can be, no permanent settle- ment in Europe or any lasting stability. They expressed the hope that the Soviet Union would come to realize that it is in its own interest that there be a just solution of this problem. They notedthat a study of the problem of German reunification and its relationship to European security is being undertaken in Washington by experts 1 Department of State press release 114, March 5, 1957. 202
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