In its statement to the Security Council, the Soviet delegation wrote that the Soviet Government could not fail to point out that there had been a recent increase in propaganda hostile to the Soviet Union in Iran, which was obviously connived at by the Government of Hakimi.
The Soviet delegation wrote that this propaganda was in no way different from the fascist propaganda that formerly took place against the Soviet Union under Riza Shah. This statement continued:
"The anti-democratic and pogrom activity, hostile to the Soviet Union, on the part of the reactionary forces in Iran which are supported by certain influential Iranian groups drawn from the ruling circles and the police authorities, creates for the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic a danger of organized hostile actions, diversions and so forth… The Soviet Government considers, however, that questions of this kind, which affect the relations between two neighbouring States, the USSR and Iran, can and should be settled by means of bilateral negotiations between the Soviet Government and the Iranian Government. The Soviet Government did not and does not refuse to accept this method of settling such questions arising between Allied Governments."[1]
I now ask the Security Council if there is any foundation for consideration by the Security Council of the question brought before it by the Iranian Government of Hakimi and the Iranian delegation? I answer: No. There is no such foundation.
This is the actual state of affairs. I should like, however, to consider to what extent the Iranian statement to the Security Council is justified from the legal point of view, from the point of view of the conformity of this statement with the Iranian delegation with the Charter of the United Nations.
I must analyse the circumstances of this question in connection with Articles 33, 34, 36 and 37 of the Charter, Article 33 says:
"The parties to any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security, shall, first of all, seek a solution by negotiation, enquiry etc."
Consequently, the Charter of the United Nations requires the Members of the Organization to attempt to settle disputes by means of negotiation, et cetera, and it is even stated in the second part of this Article that the Council may call upon the parties to settle their dispute by the means indicated in Article 33.
On comparing the contents of Article 33 with all the circumstances mentioned here by the Iranian delegation, it will become quite obvious that, in the present case, the Security Council cannot call upon the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to take any steps provided for by Article 33.
- ↑ See Official Records of the Security Council, First Year, First Series, Supplement No. 1; Annex 2A, pages 18 and 19.
