‘Confidential. Persia’ [‎481v] (12/112)

10
£
Russian Government to their Ambassador
in London, M. de Staal, who on 3rd* March * Secret F , May 1888, No«. 56-276, Proceeding
1888, having invited Sir H. Drummond No ' 276,
Wolff to call, read it to him. With regard
to the first point in Lord Salisbury’s des
patch, the desirability of a renewal of the
assurance that Russia would, as well as
England, respect the integrity of the
Persian Empire, M. de Giers declared that
his Government was of the same opinion.
On the second point, Russia generally
agreed in the inexpediency of constant
rivalry between Her Majesty’s Government
and that of Russia, in the development of
the commerce of Persia, but considered
that the question of railways should be
treated with the Shah. On the last point
—the delimitation of the Russo-Persian
frontier—M. de Giers considered that it
was one to be dealt with between Russia
and Persia alone, and without the interven
tion of a third power. The formal reply
of the Russian Government is recorded in
the following despatch :—
The Marquis of Salisbury to Sir R. Morier.
Foreign Office, March 12, 1SS3.
(Extract.)
f< M. de Staal called here this afternoon and read
to me a despatch from M. de Giers. His Excellency
was not authorised to leave a copy of it.
“ The despatch was written in very friendly
terms.
“ After briefly recapitulating the interview which
he had with your Excellency, and in which he had
stated that he would convey through M. de Staal
the definitive conclusions of the Russian Govern
ment on the several points touched on in the
despatch, M. de Giere went on to mention and
discuss those points.
f< In the first place, as regards our desire for an
assurance that the engagement between the two
Governments to respect and promote the integrity
and independence of Persia is considered by the
Russian Government as remaining in full force,
M. de Giers states that, although, in their opinion,
there are no present grounds for apprehending any
danger to Persia, and although they have received
no communication on the subject from Tehran,
yet the Russian Government have no objection to
placing again on record that their views on this
point are in no way altered. The Persian Govern
ment, His Excellency adds, have on more than one
occasion had tangible proof of this ; and he alludes
to a military demonstration made at the request
of the Shah in IBS 0 on the Caucasian frontier,
when a portion of the province of Azerbaijan was
suffering from the incursions of bands of Kurds.
*******
“ I have expressed to M. de Staal, and I request
your Excellency to offer M. de Giers my best
thanks for this frank and courteous communication
of the views of the Russian Government. It has
been highly satisfactory to Her Majesty’s Govern
ment to learn that those views are so much in
accordance with their own ; and they owe their
acknowledgments to M. de Giers for enabling Sir
H. D. Wolff to inaugurate his mission by an
Secret E„ August 1883, Noa. 131-151, Proceeding
No. 118.
>. 5
* *