Department of State Inr Briefing Note- June 12, 1968

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

GIST: Romanian Contacts With Africa and Middle East Reflect Strengthening of Ties With Third World

DATE: June 11
TIME: 14:30

COMMENTS CONTAINED IN INR BRIEFING NOTES ARE INITIAL AND TENTATIVE.

FBIS Daily Report
10 June pp. M G 1-2

Cairo MENA announced June 10 Romanian Deputy Foreign Minister Macovescu's departure from Cairo following a three-day visit. Macovescu was quoted as saying: "UAR-Romanian relations are extremely good. We are striving to strengthen these relations. I feel that Cairo officials entertain the same wish."

Bucharest 1810
June 11

The Romanian press noted June 11 that Macovescu saw UAR President Nasser June 8 for a "friendly conversation". And according to a Romanian Foreign Ministry official, Macovescu returned to Bucharest June 10. (Cairo MENA had reported that Macovescu flew to Beirut from Cairo, but that may have been an error.)

FBIS Daily Report
10 June pp. h 3-7

Radio Bucharest announced June 10 the departure of Congo Brazzaville President Massamba-Debat following his 5-day visit to Romania at the invitation of President Ceausescu. Massamba-Debat, who had toured Bucharest, oil center Ploesti, Carpathian Alps resort city Brasov and the Black Sea littoral, was seen off by Ceausescu, Premier Maurer and a host of party-state leaders.

INR COMMENT: The KirdrikxErnst/UAR visit of Macovescu and official visit to Romania of Massamba-Debat (as well as current trips through Latin America and Africa by Romanian envoys) are symptomatic of Bucharest's efforts to strengthen ties with the Third World. The Romanians hope to develop political ties there that will help bolster their independent and often neutralist foreign policy line. They are also looking for markets for their increasing exports of manufactured goods. Macovescu's trip was quite sudden and seemed aimed at stimulating the rapprochement between Bucharest and Cairo that has helped overcome strains owing to policy differences during last summer's Middle East crisis. Since Romania has maintained satisfactory relations with both Israel and the UAR, one might speculate that Macovescu could be involved in a diplomatic effort together with Foreign Minister Manescu (current UN General Assembly President) to contribute toward easing of Arab-Israeli differences. But we have no evidence on which to base such speculation. As for Massamba-Debat's visit, we were struck by the red carpet treatment accorded him during the entire visit. And we found particularly curious the presence of high-level Romanian military officers at the visiting Congolese talks with top Romanian leaders. An event which strongly emphasized national independence themes of both countries, the Debat visit may have included exploratory talks on future Romanian small arms exports to the Brazzaville regime.