https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/67ab535a52d1264a1940a868d3dbfdf0.pdf 24d7cbf89544cb65c89b24d0e168051d PDF Text Text Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de lo Loi sur l'acces iJ /'information DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, CANADA. DESPATCH . ' Security: TC-THE SECRETARY OF STATE.FO; EXTERNAL AFFAIRS,OTTAWA, CANADA. No:.. . I •••••• SECRET t. I I ••••• I ••••••• I •• I • t ·f· /7{) .............................. THE CANADIAN AMBASSADOR BONN GERMANY FROM: ....... I ••• I • I I ••• I • I •• I • I • I • I • • • • • • • • • • • I I ••• I •• I I • t • ........................................... .......... , Fnclosures: . .. , ... , .... , . , . , . , ...... 9.~r. .J;>~~P.~~-qq., .~9.-..14.4-f> .. 9J.:.~Y. .?3.,..:+9~; .• Ai r or Sur f ace Ma1·1: ....Air, ......... ,. , .... . 3, ............... &abject: .. A~.~? ..\ti.~I:t ..SR1{i.~\i~. PX~r.. tll!3.. i;i.:r;,.G9r.-:-. Post File No:, .?1-.~JJ.. . ~ference: . : ........ J:tP.Qf~. t..Q.;a~TJ. j_r),.... . 1. ···,·· ··,•··•,··,• Ottawa File No, ........................ ·-········ ..···············•.-············ I References J 1. "While the meeting in Berlin on May 19 led to no positive agreement, the Russians showed an eagerness to hear and accept reasonable alternatives from the side of the Western Allies. The meeting was under Russian chairmanship and opened with the Russian reply to the allied counter proposals. 2. They rejected the new corridor proposed by the allies, insisting on their proposal or, alternatively, an acceptance of the existing corridors, and a limitation of the discussions to flight safety within them. They were adamant that no armed aircraft should use the corridors and denied that they had been so used recently. They declared themselves ready to permit flights up to 4,000 metres, but did not accept a "25 mile zone" as being a satisfactory definition of their phrase "a considerable distance". This still remains to be defined and it seems clear that only something less sweeping than 25 miles will be acceptable to the Russians. They still insisted on the 90 minutes' notice of flights, but declared themselves ready to look at any counter proposals. They accepted the proposals for the technical working group for flights. 1--------~ Internal Circulation In reply the United Kingdom representative said that British did not consider the three present corridors I 3.the unacceptable and that there was no objection in principle to a single corridor. He said that the British would not consider discussing the topic of combat aircraft and, in r-t.(,, -, regard to the height limit, there was no reason why one ~~hould be set for the future, since there was at present no ~~_:~t.-"' limit. He noted that the Russians had not replied to any ~~\., ~of the specific proposals on flight safety (immediate notiN JI ol fication of a violation, landing on instructions, etc.). fY Tv(·To his question how the 90 minutes' notice would help / flight safety, the Russians simply replied that this was al the time required. 4. Distribution to Posts London Paris NATO-Paris Moscow Washington The British assessment of the meeting is that the Russians gave the impression of going out of their way to be polite and asking for United Kingdom compromise proposals. They apparently did not wish to be responsible for breaking off the talks. ••. 2 000929 Ext. lBOA(Rev. 2/52) �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de lo Loi sur l'occes al'informot,on 000930 �Document disclosed under the Access to lnformotiO{J Act Document divulgue en vertu de lo Loi sur l'occes l'infa9!7otion a 2 f.Ji:•··-;here .has been no further meeting with the Russians since then· ., and no date ha,s been set for the next meeting. While there has been no tripartite disagreement, the _United Kingdom del~gation is the only one whi•ch until now-has received its instructions. It is believed that the instructfons of the:ir American and French colleagues_ 'Will not raise any points of disagreement. While the next step by the allies has not been decided, it is intended that a statement be ma.de consolidating the points on which agreement can be reached with the Russians, such as the question of heights (a limitation for control flights from zero to 4,000 metres would be accepted without admitting that it is not permissible to fly above 4,000 metres at one's own risk). The British objective is that there should be no firing in any circumstances, and that while there must be rules, they must not be permitted· to reduce traffic, .as the Russian single corridor·would. Within. any corridor,· since there are, no ·beacons in the Soviet Zone, only two tracks are possible, removed from one another as far as possible to the outer edges of the corridor •. 6. The .British do not believe that there is anything sinister in the Russian proposal for a single corridor, although it would be an ob~ vious disadvantage should it be necessary to car~y out another airlift. The Ambassador. 000931 \ . � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDBC00348 Title A name given to the resource "Talks with Soviets over the Air Corridors to Berlin," Bonn to SSEA, despatch no. 470 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 03-Jun-53 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "BERLIN. Political Situation. Relations between West and East Berlin," RG25-A-3-c, Volume 8506, File number: 10937-40, File part: 2.3, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource LAC ATIP A-2024-01457 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Canadian Crown Subject The topic of the resource Berlin Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Canada Declassified Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English