Telegram to I. Broz-Tito (before August 12, 1947)

Source: Tom 18

To Comrade Tito from Stalin.

The Soviet government considers it its duty to inform the fraternal republics — Yugoslavia and Bulgaria — of its position regarding the open-ended pact between Yugoslavia and Bulgaria.

The Soviet government considers that both governments made an error by concluding a pact — and an open-ended one at that — before the peace treaty came into force, despite the Soviet government's warning. The Soviet government believes that by their haste both governments have facilitated the cause of reactionary Anglo-American elements, giving them an additional pretext to intensify military intervention in Greek and Turkish affairs against Yugoslavia and Bulgaria.

Of course, the Soviet Union is bound by alliance with both Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, since it has a formal treaty of alliance with Yugoslavia, which is tantamount to a formal alliance treaty. However, the Soviet government must warn that it cannot assume responsibility for pacts of great importance in the field of foreign policy that are concluded without consultation with the Soviet government.

Note

From July 30 to August 1, 1947, Yugoslav-Bulgarian negotiations took place in Bled (Yugoslavia), during which the text of a future Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance between Yugoslavia and Bulgaria was agreed upon. During a conversation with E. Kardelj on April 19, 1947, Stalin had expressed approval of the Yugoslav intention to sign a treaty with Bulgaria after ratification of the peace treaty with Bulgaria, similar to the one Yugoslavia had with Albania. Meanwhile, the Soviet government officially informed the Yugoslav and Bulgarian governments of its wish that they refrain from concluding a Yugoslav-Bulgarian treaty until the restrictions associated with the peace treaty had lapsed. Taking this into account and not wishing to give the Western powers a pretext to disrupt ratification, G. Dimitrov and I. Broz-Tito preferred not to publish the text of the agreed document. However, in the official protocol on the results of the negotiations, published on August 2, the fact that a Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance between the two countries had been drafted was made public. Moreover, Dimitrov announced that the treaty would be open-ended. Learning of this, Stalin on August 12, 1947, instructed the Soviet Ambassador to the FPRY, A.I. Lavrentyev, to visit Tito and deliver this telegram.