Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Ambassador of Yugoslavia Vladimir Popovic, Dr. Mirko Bruno, and Walworth Barbour

s/s 103 DEPARTMENT OF STATE 4253 Memorandum of Conversation 77 DATE: March 6, 1952 and INATIONA AND SUBJECT: Call of Yugoslav Ambassador PARTICIPANTS: The Secretary; DHEM) Mr. Vladimir Popovic, Yugoslav Ambassador; Dr. Mirko Bruner, First Secretary, Yugoslav Embassy; Mr. walworth Barbour, Director, office of Eastern European affairs. COPIES TO: s/s (2) EUR WE EE Emb. Relgrade Emb. Home u. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 16-61120-1 The Yugoslav Ambassador called on Narch 6, by appointment made at his request, and aftor he had raised a number of questions, I stated that there was one matter which I would like to discuss with him on my part. I said that I have been deeply concerned regarding the necessity for a solution of the Trieste problem, particularly in view of the importance thereof to general European defense. I added that I have also been deeply disappointed at the lack of progress in the negotiations which have taken place between the Italians and Yugoslavs in the matter and particularly noted that the recent internationalization proposal put forward and publicized by Yugoslavia is not helpful. It is our view that internationalization is unworkable and further discussion along that line can only retard a satisfactory territorial solution of the problem. I suggested that a rest period might be highly desirable at this moment. Ambassador Popovic said that in the Yugoslav-Italian negotiations the Yugo- slavs have put forward tiro territorial proposals and the Italians only one which is highly unrealistic. He further said that the Yugoslavs also prefer a territorial solution but in as much as the Italians seem to feel that all of Zone A has already been determined as destined for Italy and only Zone B is for discussion, the Yugo- slavs reluctantly proposed internationalization as the only possibility in the impasse. Concerning the timing of the proposal, he stated that Tito had made his international proposal but had made it public only after Di Casperi had stated publicly in Lisbon that the Yugoslav territorial proposals were impossible. I replied DECLASSIFTED 0632 Se. 3(E) and S(D) ma Drop. of 5-12-25 TOP INFORMATION 1100 SARS Dote 2-12-20