Coll 28/21 ‘Persia; Azerbaijan; Persia-Russian & Persia-Turkish Frontier.’ [‎51r] (101/845)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
PERSIA.
March 23,
1946
SECRET.
Section 1.
^[E 2605/315/34]
Military Attache's Intelligence Summary No. 10, Secret,
Aith March to mh March, [Communicated in
No. 75 of ¥2th March; Received 23/r/ March.)
Copy No.
for the Period
Tehran Despatch
Persian A /fairs.
Political.
Oawam-us-Saltaneh returned by air from Moscow on the 10th March.
Information from a certain source in Moscow regarding the demands made o
Persia by Russia was given in paragraph 2 of last Intelligence Summary, ine
London Evening News, on what authority it is unknown, stated that the demam &
totalled six and comprised :—
(i) A treaty of alliance between Persia and the L.S.S.R.
(xi) Recognition by the Central Government of the Autonomous Government
of Azerbaijan. .
(iii) Co-ordination of Persia’s foreign policy with that ot the L.k_.S.±v
(iv) An oil concession. „ , j r *
(v) The organisation, location and employment of the armed forces ot
autonomous Azerbaijan to he under Russian military dnection.
(vi) The Persian Government to invite the Russian military forces to remain
in Persia pending acceptance of the above.
In conversation with His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires in Moscow, Qawam-
us-Saltaneh referred only to two demands, namely, for an oil concession and
recognition of an autonomous Azerbaijan. In reply to the first, Qawam states
that he informed the Russians that he had no authority to grant this, a recent
law making even the discussion of oil concessions an oflence punishable n
impeachment. He was equally powerless to recognise an autonomous Azerbaijan
as he had been forbidden to discuss this by the Majlis. When the Russians
suggested the election of a Majlis which would repeal the law against discussion
of oil concessions, Qawam replied that a law had recently been passed prohibiting
the holding of elections for the next Majlis until such time as all foreign troops
had left Persia. Qawam also informed His Majesty s Charge d Affanes that
he sent a written protest to the Soviet Government on the 4th March when he
learnt of their decision to maintain their troops in Persia. In the course ot the
conversations the Russians, in addition to advancing the usual reasons for main
taining their troops in Persia, such as the danger to the Soviet lmon ansing
from Fascist and Imperialist elements so close to its borders, the vulnerability
of the Baku oilfields, &c., introduced a novel argument by referring to past
history and claiming that Persia’s demands at the Peace Conference of Paris
had included Baku. Turkestan [sic] and Armenia. Hakimi had been a member
of the Persian delegation. Hakimi had recently been 1 rime Minister. Hakimi
had annealed to UNO. Ergo Persia’s claims to Russian territory still stood
and PerskPs hostility to the'U.S.S.R. was still in evidence The 1921 treaty
was of course, also brought in to the discussions. Qawam said that no agieement
had'been reached, even on commercial matters. A communique was published
at the conclusion of the visit which stated that the conversations had been carried
on in a friendly atmosphere and that, after the new Soviet Ambassador had
arrived in Tehran, the two Governments would renew their efforts to place then-
relations on a friendlv basis. That the Qawam has come back empty-handed
causes no surprise. Mdst people will be relieved if subsequent events confirm that
he told the Russians what he avows he told them.
The Majlis.
2 In yesterday’s session of the Majlis Deputy Dr. Musaddiq made a long
sneeeh in protest against the continued presence of Russian troops on Persian
soil after the 2nd March. The main points of his speech were that the presence
[75—155]