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694.001/6-1451: Secret File From Paris, desp. 3607, June 14, 1951

Paris, June 11, 1951

4) . M. Parodi raised the question of participation of the three Associated States of Indochina. Mr. Dulles stated that he did not think the U.S. would be opposed in principle to such participation provided it did not constitute a precedent and commit the U.S. to treating these States as in all respects sovereign for other purposes, for example membership in the U.N., as to which matter Mr. Dulles did not know what U.S. policy would be. Mr. Dulles stated however that he anticipated that some of the other prospective co-signers, such as India, Burma and Indonesia, might object to signing with the three Associated States as sovereign, particularly as there was a rival government of Viet Minh recognized by the Soviet bloc. He said that if this created serious difficulties it might be necessary for these States to participate through subsequent identical bilateral pacts with Japan. M. Parodi reiterated that it was very important for France to secure recognition of the independent sovereign status of these States.

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