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Coll 30/86(3) 'PERSIA. Relations with Iraq: Shatt-el-Arab. Establishment of an International Conservancy Board.' [27r] (60/674)
The record is made up of 1 file, in 2 parts (329 folios). It was created in 14 Apr 1937-5 Mar 1946. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
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[This telegram is of particular secrecy and should be retained
by the authorised recipient and not passed on]. do
[CYPHER]
No, 59
23rd January, 1945.
WAR CABINET DISTRIBUTION
FROM FOREIGN OFFICE TO BACDAD
D.7.25 p.m., 23rd January, 1945,
Repeated to Tehran No. 57
M.E, Min. No. 121.
T T T T T
IMPORTANT
Your recent warnings that Iraqi Government may wish to
repay outstanding portion of Basra Port debt, and thereafter
introduce Iraqis to replace British officials on Port of
Basra staff, have made more urgent the necessity of reaching
a durable arrangement' for safeguarding British strategic and
commercial interests in the navigation of the Shatt-al-Arab,
in particular tanker traffic to and from Abadan. Our aim
must be to secure on a long-term basis a definite treaty
right to control effectively the conservancy and navigation
of the Shatt-al-Arab from a. point below Basra to the southern
end of the Rooka Channel, and the Persian waters off Abadan.
2, Our full requirements can thus only be obtained
by agreement with Persia as well as with Iraq, It is our
general view that the most favourable opportunity for negotiating
a durable agreement will be as the European war comes to
an end. The Persian Government may, however, refuse to
negotiate so long as British troops are occupying Persian
territory. In the light of recent events, Sir Reader
Bullard is being asked what attitude the Persian Government are
likely to adopt to a proposal to negotiate now a tripartite
agreement.
5. We consider that the British draft tripartite Convention
of December, 1935, would form the h$st basis of negotiation.
4. If the Persian Government will not negotiate now the
problem may have to be approached in two stages. # During the
first stage we might have to concentrate on securing agreement
with Iraq, This agreement need do little more than confirm
the continuance of the present arrangements whereby British
subjects occupy the controlling positions in the authority
responsible for navigation, dredging, etc. The Railway Agreement
of 1956 provides a precedent for a treaty arrangement whereby
key posts in an Iraqi administration are filled by British
sucjects for a number of years.
5. I shall be grateful for your advice on the best method
of securing our desiderata. It seems to us chat financial
nns
About this item
- Content
The file concerns the possibility of establishing an international Conservancy Board for the Shatt-el-Arab (also referred to as the Shatt-al-Arab) between the governments of Iraq, Iran (also referred to as Persia), and the United Kingdom.
The board was intended to ensure the efficient maintenance and navigation of the Shatt-al-Arab waterway. The United Kingdom was involved because of the close interests of British shipping in the conservancy of the Shatt-al-Arab.
The papers cover: Perso-Iraqi frontier negotiations; drafts, signing (July 1937), and ratification (June 1938) of the Perso-Iraqi Frontier Treaty; Turkish approval of the frontier negotiations; the signing of the four power non-aggression pact between Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Afghanistan (the Saad-Abad [Saadabad] Pact), 1937; Abadan anchorage; Foreign Office memoranda and minutes of meetings concerning a convention for the conservancy of the Shatt-al-Arab; the question of British participation in the convention; lighting and buoying; the involvement of Sir John Ward [serving with the Iraqi Government] in the discussions; the opposition of the Iranian Government to British involvement; the involvement of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC); the Port of Basra (including Foreign Office memorandum, folios 77-83); the Rooka Channel; and renewed discussion of the issue in 1945, including the importance of the Shatt-al-Arab for tanker traffic to supply Britain's war needs in the Far East.
The main correspondents are the Foreign Office, the British Ambassador to Iraq, and HM Minister, Tehran.
The French language content of the file consists of approximately twenty folios of diplomatic correspondence and treaties.
There are no papers in the file dated 1941-44.
The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 file, in 2 parts (329 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: this file consists of two physical parts. The foliation sequence commences at the first folio of part one (ff 1-169) and terminates at the last folio of part two (ff 170-329); these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel; these numbers are printed, but are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out. The front and back conservation covers (parts one and two), have not been foliated.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 30/86(3) 'PERSIA. Relations with Iraq: Shatt-el-Arab. Establishment of an International Conservancy Board.' [27r] (60/674), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3804, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047087708.0x00003d> [accessed 24 April 2024]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3804
- Title
- Coll 30/86(3) 'PERSIA. Relations with Iraq: Shatt-el-Arab. Establishment of an International Conservancy Board.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 1r:40v, 51r:106v, 107v:130v, 131v:134v, 137r:169v, back-i, front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 170r:174v, 175v:224v, 225v:226v, 230r:275v, 284r:284v, 287v:302v, 306r:306v, 307v:323v, 328r:329v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence