HC Deb 14 March 1946 vol 420 cc1290-2
Mr. Eden

May I ask the Foreign Secretary if he has any statement to make on the situation in Persia?

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Ernest Bevin)

As the House is aware, His Majesty's Government have addressed to the Soviet Government an inquiry as to their intentions in respect of the withdrawal of their troops from Persia. I have received inquiries as to whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to replace British troops in Persia. No decision to that effect has been taken by His Majesty's Government, nor have they taken any steps to open negotiations with the Persian Government for the return of British troops.

I ought to say that we received the most categorical assurances from Generalissimo Stalin and the Soviet Government that the integrity of Persia would be respected, and that there was no intention of taking aggressive action against her. The Soviet Foreign Ministry, in their reply to the representations which we made to them in November last on the subject of reported Soviet interference in the internal affairs of Persia, stated: In so far as reference is made in your letter to the Tripartite Treaty of 1942 and the Declaration of the Three Powers on Iran, I have to state that in accordance with this treaty and declaration, the Soviet Government invariably carries out a policy of respect for the territorial integrity, suzerainty and independence of Iran. Moreover, at the time of the London meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, when the question of the withdrawal of British and Soviet troops from Persia was discussed, I clearly understood from Mr. Molotov that there was no difference of view as to the date by which Allied troops should be withdrawn under the Treaty, that is to say, by 2nd March, 1946, six months after the signing of the Japanese instrument of surrender. In his letter which concluded the correspondence on this subject, which I communicated to the House, Mr. Molotov asked me to bear in mind the exceptional importance which the Soviet Government attached to the strict fulfilment of their obligations.

It is difficult for His Majesty's Government to understand the present policy of Soviet Russia in this matter, and more difficult for us to believe that all these assurances are not going to be fulfilled. We are now awaiting the reply of the Soviet Government to the inquiries which we have addressed to them.

When His Majesty's Government became a party to the resolution of the Security Council on 30th January, that direct negotiations should be undertaken between the Soviet and Persian Governments, they did so on the clear assumption that the existing Treaty obligations to withdraw Allied troops from Persia on 2nd March would be fulfilled, and His Majesty's Government would regret any settlement which appeared to be extracted from the Persian Government under duress while the Soviet Army was still in occupation of part of Persia.