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  Selected Secret Documents from Soviet Foreign Policy Documents Archives - 1919 to 1941

Concentrated on 1st and  2nd WW Correspondence and Meetings related to Turkey, Balkans and Iran, with some additions from Afghanistan and India.

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Note of the deputy peopleʹs commissar for foreign affairs of the

RSFSR to the ambassador of Persia in the RSFSR Moshaver‐ol‐me‐

Malek

November 24, 1922 no. Vb / 1034

Lord ambassador,

In response to your note of November 18, no. 1363, I have the honor to inform you that I read it with the greatest surprise. The policy of Soviet Russia in relation to Persia, striving to strengthen the political and economic power of the first Kʹrsidekigo state, fundamentally cannot sympathize with any separatist aspirations of the Persian outskirts, let alone their struggle against the central government. This policy, sympathetic to the creation of a strong Persian state, has sufficiently proved itself in practice, starting from the first days of the emergence of the Russian Soviet republic. In particular, the willfulness of the Astrabad‐SKP / Turkmens and their disobedience to government officials first of all caused concern from our throne, since such a situation constantly threatened to break the peace on our border and manifested itself in a number of robberies, cattle theft and border clashes caused by the activities of Persian Turkmen. We have repeatedly drawn the attention of the Persian government to the need to take measures to protect the security of the borders from the attacks of the Turkmen, and our consul in Astrabad informed us that the arbitrariness and plunder of the Turkmen have intensified recently.

Your message that the Russian consul in Astrabad distributes money and weapons to the Turkmens, prompting them to revolt against the government, is so contrary to the foundations of our policy in Persia and our real interests on the border with Astrabad that no other conclusion can be drawn than that it is based on incorrect and obviously defamatory information. This information is all the more surprising because, as you know, the Russian consul cannot, on his own behalf, promise any individuals or groups to change the laws in force in the RSFSR and the republics allied with it.

I would be very grateful to you, Mr. Ambassador, if you would take measures to clarify the sources of this information, since then it will be obvious who is interested in its dissemination, especially since I know from Persian newspapers that the distribution of weapons to tribes and the incitement of the latter against the central government is, unfortunately, included in the political program of one of the foreign powers in Persia, which may be interested in diverting public attention, through false rumors, from its criminal activities in a different direction.

I have no doubt, Mr. Ambassador, that such attempts to throw a gag on good‐neighborly relations between Soviet Russia and Persia will remain fruitless and their exposure will only serve to further strengthen the friendship of our peoples.

Please accept, Mr. Ambassador, the assurance of my utmost respect.

Karakhan,