national law, and, in particular, to the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Dept. of State News Briefing, DPC 109, June 15, 1977.

Earlier in 1977, the late President N'Gouabi sent a congratulatory inaugural message to President Carter in which N'Gouabi expressed his desire to normalize relations with the United States during 1977. President Carter's response via the German Ambassador in Brazzaville expressed the hope that the two countries would find ways to move toward normalization of relations and proposed a meeting at a mutually convenient time and place.

President Carter's message reached the Congolese Government after N'Gouabi's assassination March 18, and was subsequently broadcast on Radio Brazzaville by the new government. On May 3 President Yhomby-Opango sent President Carter a message reiterating the Congo's willingness to resume full diplomatic relations. President Carter's reply to Yhomby-Opango suggested an early June meeting in Bonn to discuss issues of concern to both countries.

The major outstanding issues between the U.S. and Congolese Governments, treatment of U.S. diplomats and compensation for nationalized U.S. firms, posed no difficulties in the discussions. With regard to the first issue, the Congolese agreed to inclusion in the final communique of a statement on the protection of diplomats as provided for by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations [TIAS 7502; 23 UST 3227; entered into force for the United States December 13, 1972]. On the compensation issue, the Congolese agreed to new talks with Texaco and Mobil beginning as early as July 1977. On October 30, 1977, the U.S. Embassy in Brazzaville reopened when Chargé d'Affaires Jay Katzen arrived in Brazzaville. Four Americans were assigned to Chargé Katzen's staff.

Current Foreign Relations: Issue No. 24, June 15, 1977.

Cuba

On May 20, 1977, in an interview with out-of-town editors and news directors, President Carter outlined in response to a question the U.S. position concerning the restoration of diplomatic relations with Cuba:

We have had no indication from Castro that Cuba is interested in the restoration of diplomatic relations with us.

When I was first in office . . ., a question was asked . . . about what we hope to achieve in the process of restoring those normal relationships.

One thing that I pointed out was a demonstration by the Cubans of their commitment to the human rights concept, particularly by

releasing some of the thousands of political prisoners that they have had incarcerated for a number of years, fifteen to twenty years; secondly, the abstaining by the Cubans of their involvement in the internal affairs of nations, particularly in Africa, and a refraining on their part from disruptive practices in the Caribbean, particularly their insistence that Puerto Rico be independent of us.

Of course, we want Puerto Rico to make their own decision about what their status should be. We have successfully concluded a fisheries agreement and a maritime agreement with Cuba. My guess is that in the near future we will have some diplomatic officials in Cuba and some Cuban diplomatic officials in Washington, not in our own embassies, but just as observers.

I don't know what Castro's intentions are. I have had no indication that he wants to proceed any more rapidly than we are proceeding, but those are elements that are very important to us. Of course, what he has asked for is an immediate termination of the embargo, trade embargo, against Cuba as a prerequisite to other negotiations which I think is something that he is not likely to achieve.

Question: And Guantanamo, too, was mentioned by Raoul Castro? The President: That is right. There are several other obviously very complicated elements in dealing with Cuba.

13 Weekly Comp. of Pres. Doc. 768 (May 30, 1977).

On June 3, 1977, John H. Trattner, Director of the Office of Press Relations of the Department of Statc, announced during the daily news briefing the opening of interests sections in Havana and Washington:

The Governments of the Republic of Cuba and the United States of America exchanged notes in New York City on May 30 agreeing to the simultaneous opening of a United States Interests Section in the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana and a Cuban Interests Section in the Embassy of Czechoslovakia in Washington.

This agreement will facilitate communications between the two Governments and will provide a greater range of consular services for the citizens of the two countries than are currently available. This step has the approval of the Governments of Switzerland and Czechoslovakia.

The notes were exchanged by Dr. Pelegrin Torras, Vice Minister of External Affairs for Cuba, and Mr. William H. Luers, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the United States.

Dept. of State News Briefing, DPC 101, June 3, 1977. Dept. of State Press Release 256, June 3, 1977. The body of the U.S. note constituting the agreement, which was negotiated by Deputy Assistant Secretary Luers and Vice Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Torras, follows:

I have the honor to refer to the negotiations that our two delegations have conducted toward establishing an Interests Section of the United States of America in the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana and an Interests Section of Cuba in the Embassy of Czechoslovakia in Washington. We have reached agreement on the functions, personnel, privileges and immunities that both Sections will enjoy on the basis of full reciprocity. Each Interests Section will be headed by a diplomat with the rank of Counselor. The Interests Sections will

be able to employ a reasonable number of nationals of the receiving State, in Cuba through the national enterprise CUBALSE, and in the United States through normal employment practices.

Both Sections will be located in those buildings that were occupied by the Embassies of the United States of America in Havana and of the Republic of Cuba in Washington and will be under the protection of the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana and of the Embassy of Czechoslovakia in Washington. Both Interests Sections will be inviolable. Entry will not be permitted without the consent of the heads of the Interests Sections.

Signs on the exterior of the buildings occupied by the Interests Sections will indicate: Embassy of Switzerland in Havana, United States Interests Section, and Embassy of Czechoslovakia in Washington, Cuban Interests Section. The official stationery of both Interests Sections shall be so lettered with the exception of that used for internal communications.

No flags nor national seals of either country shall be displayed on the outside of the aforementioned buildings or other properties, except those that are engraved on the buildings, because they are under the protection of other diplomatic missions.

Automobiles and other means of transportation used by the Interests Sections or their employees, shall be licensed in the series assigned to the automobiles belonging to the Swiss Embassy in Havana and the Czechoslovakian Embassy in Washington respectively and may only display the flags of those countries.

Official access of the United States Interests Section to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Havana and of the Cuban Interests Section to the Department of State in Washington will be at the same level.

The Interests Sections shall have the right of free communication for all official purposes, using open or encrypted diplomatic mail or communications. Official correspondence and diplomatic pouches will be inviolable, in accordance with international practice. The Interests Sections may maintain radio transmitters only with the consent of the host country.

Members of the Interests Sections shall have freedom to travel throughout the territory of the host country in accordance with the established international practice commonly accepted for Embassy personnel. In accordance with Protocol, the Head of each Interests Section shall rank in diplomatic precedence after Chargés d'affaires. The Interests Sections may carry out routine diplomatic and consular functions and make their own financial transactions. Both Governments reconfirm their commitments under the applicable international treaties governing diplomatic and consular relations to which both are parties. Personnel of both Sections shall benefit from the privileges and immunities provided by those treaties.

The names of the diplomats of both Interests Sections will appear in the Diplomatic List, apart from and after those of the diplomats of the Government of Switzerland in the case of the United States and of the Government of Czechoslovakia in the case of Cuba.

The Government of the United States shall obtain the concurrence of the Government of Switzerland and the Government of Cuba shall obtain the concurrence of the Government of Czechoslovakia to this arrangement.

Subject to the preceding paragraph, the opening of the Interests Sections will take place simultaneously in both capitals at a date to be mutually agreed within one month of the date of this exchange of notes.

Dept. of State File No. P77 0104-100.

In his response to questions concerning this announcement, Mr. Trattner indicated that the agreement on Interest Sections was intended to facilitate discussion of problems and concerns that each country has with the other, and not to establish or to normalize relations. Among the obstacles to normal relations remaining to be overcome were such issues as the status of thirty American prisoners being held in Cuba, visitation rights for families divided between Cuba and

the United States, the presence of Cuban military advisers in Africa, and U.S. claims for property seized by the Cuban Government. Mr. Trattner noted that the U.S. Foreign Claims Settlement Commission determined in July of 1972 that the United States has claims valued at 1.8 billion dollars against Cuba, while Cuba has an undetermined amount of claims against the United States.

In response to a further question, Mr. Trattner indicated that less than a dozen Americans would be stationed within two or three months in Havana pursuant to the agreement.

Mr. Trattner also announced that the Cuban Government had informed the United States on June 3, 1977, that the Cuban Government planned to release ten American prisoners immediately and that the cases of all of the other twenty remaining American prisoners were being reviewed. Mr. Trattner said that seven of the thirty American prisoners were being held for crimes against the state while the rest were being held for drug-related and hijacking offenses. The ten prisoners being released had been held in connection with drug-related offenses.

Section 411 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1978, Public Law 95-105, 91 Stat. 861, approved on August 17, 1977, expresses the sense of the Congress concerning any negotiations toward the normalization of relations with Cuba. The section, which appears below, calls for negotiations on a reciprocal basis, mentions certain U.S. interests to be protected, and specifies certain Cuban policies to be taken into account:

(a) It is the sense of the Congress that any negotiations toward the normalization of relations with Cuba be conducted in a deliberate manner and on a reciprocal basis, and that the vital concerns of the United States with respect to the basic rights and interests of United States citizens whose persons or property are the subject of such negotiations be protected.

(b) Furthermore, it is the sense of Congress that the Cuban policies and actions regarding the use of its military and paramilitary personnel beyond its borders and its disrespect for the human rights of individuals are among the elements which must be taken into account in any such negotiations.

Hungary

On December 13, 1977, Philip M. Kaiser, U.S. Ambassador to the Hungarian People's Republic, sent a letter to Frigyes Puja, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, confirming President Carter's determination to return the Hungarian coronation regalia to Hungary. Portions of the text of the letter follow:

As you know, President Carter has determined that it is appropriate and fitting that the Crown of St. Stephen and other Hungarian coronation regalia, which have been in the safekeeping of

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the United States since the close of World War II, be returned to the people of Hungary. We are now prepared to return the Crown and other coronation regalia in a ceremony in Budapest.

As a result of my discussions with you and with other senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the return of the Crown, it is my understanding, and that of my Government, that the following arrangements have been decided upon by our two Governments:

-The Crown and other coronation regalia will be returned to the Hungarian nation and people in a solemn public ceremony at a venue in Budapest which will underscore the historical, cultural, religious, and national tradition of these objects as well as the "people-to-people" nature of their return.

-President Carter, as Chief of State, will appoint a senior United States Government official, or other prominent American, as his personal representative to lead the American delegation which will return the Crown and other regalia. The American delegation will include Members of the United States Congress and other representatives of the American people. It is our intention that the American delegation will include Americans of Hungarian descent chosen to exemplify the contributions of Hungary to the development of the American nation. I will inform you as soon as possible of the precise composition of the American delegation.

-The Crown and other regalia, as property of the Hungarian nation and people, will be received by the head or designated representative of the Hungarian state. We understand that representatives of the Hungarian National Assembly, Presidential Council and Government, leaders of the Hungarian Churches-including the Hungarian Cardinal-Primate and leaders of Hungarian Protestant denominations and of the National Representation of Hungarian Jews as well as representatives of Hungarian public organizations and outstanding personalities of scientific and cultural life will be among those invited to participate in the ceremony. -Remarks at the ceremony will be confined to statements which will emphasize traditional United States-Hungarian ties, friendship between our two peoples, and our mutual desire to continue the development of better bilateral relations.

-In keeping with the fact that the ceremony of return of the Crown will be an event of international interest, representatives of American, Hungarian, and international media, including press, radio, and television, will be permitted to film, record and report the ceremony. Such media coverage will also be possible for the arrival in Budapest of the American delegation and for other similar events in connection with the return of the Crown.

-The Hungarian and United States Governments will, upon transfer of the Crown and other regalia, exchange notes or letters acknowledging the safe receipt of these objects and waiving any claims by each Government against the other Government arising from the United States Government safekeeping of them.

-A joint communique officially announcing that the Crown and other coronation regalia will be returned is to be made simultane