Draft Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, the Ambassador of Belgium, and the Foreign Minister of Belgium

250 270 September 16, 1949 DRAFT MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION Conf Subject: Bast cata West Trade Participente: Secretary Acheson Belgian Foreign Minister Van Zeeland ARCHIVES "NATIONAL RECORDS AMD The Belgian Ambassador SERVICE*° Mr. Macarthur, WE Copies to: S/S, G, EUR, E, U/FAA, ITP, S/P, 8 S/A Brussels, Paris, Moscow, Stockholm, Bern, Warsaw, Prague, Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia, Belgrade MI . Van Zesland said that he wished to touch briefly on the rather delicate subject of East=West trade. He said that the Bel- gian Government fully concurs with us in the principle of nestricting the export of strategic materials to the Soviet Union and its satellites. on the other hand he said that when the Belgian Govornment entered into an agreement on this subject, it would wish to implement it honestly, not only plugging possible loopholea which might arlse from exports to Switzerland and Sweden or other countries which are ultimately destined for the Sovlet Union, but also being sure of the exact nomenclature of the 1tems included in the agreement. Therefore, before his Govern- ment could adopt such a program it was indispensable that the exact neture of the individual items be clearly spelled out This was most important to avoid subsequent charges of bad faith and in this connection he mentioned there was already some con- fuslon in the nomenclature of items on the lists which we have submitted to his government, He said that he understood this whole question was in the process of being ironed out and that he had been in close touch with Mr. Haynes, Chier of the ECA Mission in Brussels. He also counted on being in very close touch with Mr . Hayne'a successor, Mr. Nuveen, He inquired as to whether Secretary Acheson had any information on Mr. Nuveen's plans. I said that I was glad to hear that the Belgian Government shared our viewa on the principle of restricting exports of strategic materials to the east. I went on to say that we were sorry our negotiations with the Belgians had not proceeded as repidly as they had with Great Britain, France, Itals and certain other countries. I added that it was too bad that the American technical mission which had recently visited Europe for the purpose of clarifying the nature of listed items had not been able to go over the list with the Belgian experts. I said DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E) Dept. of State letter, 27275 that By NLT- HC NARS Date 4-27-76