Office of the Historian

Council of Foreign Ministers Files: Lot M–88: CFM London Decisions

Record of Decisions of the Seventeenth Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, Lancaster House, London, September 22, 1945, 5:30 p.m.

London, September 22, 1945, 5:30 p.m.
C.F.M.(P) (45) 17th Meeting

Present

U.K. U.S.A U.S.S.R
Mr. Bevin Mr. Byrnes M. Molotov (Chairman)
Sir R. I. Campbell Mr. J. Dunn M. F. T. Gousev
Sir A. Clark Kerr Mr. B. V. Cohen M. K. V. Novikov
Mr. A. Duff Cooper Mr. J. F. Dulles M. S. A. Golunski
Mr. C. E. Bohlen M. V. N. Pavlov
Dr. N. Padelford
France China
M. Bidault Dr. Wang Shih Chieh
M. Couve de Murville Dr. Wellington Koo
General Catroux Dr. Victor Hoo
M. Alphand Dr. Hollington Tong
M. Fouques Duparc Mr. Yang Yun Chu

1. Procedure

Further discussion of the Peace Treaties with Italy and the ex-enemy Satellite States should be deferred until a later meeting. Meanwhile, the Council should proceed with the other items on the Agenda for the present Conference.

2. Withdrawal of Troops From Iran

The Council took note of statements made by Mr. Bevin and M. Molotov that British and Soviet troops would, in accordance with the terms of the Tripartite Treaty between the U.K., Soviet and Iranian Governments,59 be withdrawn from Iran within six months [Page 316] after the surrender of Japan on 2nd September, 1945. The Council agreed that in view of these statements the item should be removed from the Agenda of the present Conference.

3. European Inland Waterways

Further consideration of the proposal of the United States Delegation (C.F.M.(45) l)61 was postponed in order to enable the alternative proposals of the Soviet Delegation (C.F.M.(45) 43)62 to be studied by the other Delegations.

4. Austria

The Deputies were instructed to study and submit to the Council an early report upon the recommendations received from the Allied Council for Austria and the memorandum to be circulated by the United Kingdom Delegation on the food supply arrangements to be made for Austria.

  1. For text of the Treaty of Alliance between the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and Iran, signed at Tehran, January 29, 1942, see Department of State Bulletin, March 21, 1942, p. 249.↩
  2. September 12, “Draft Agreement Establishing Emergency Regime for European Inland Waterways”, p. 132.↩
  3. September 22, “Provisional Navigation Regime for European Inland Waterways”, p. 324.↩