1 FEBRUARY 1946, Page 1

The Council's Decision

Having rightly asserted- its competence to discuss the dispute, the Council has now decided that the best solution is for the negotiations between Russia and Persia to be reopened, the Council retaining " a continuing concern " in the dispute, with the right to ask at any time for information on the progress of the negotiations. The Persian Government will find this decision the more readily acceptable, firstly, because the new Prime Minister, M. Qavam, is reported to believe in the possibility of an agreement with the Soviet union, secondly, because the Security Council's interest in the negotiations will save Persia from being presented merely with a fait accompli by the Soviet Union. Indeed, it may be said that one of the Security Council's essential functions, when conflicts arise, is to ensure that they can be solved by direct negotiations in which a weak power is not at a hopeless disadvantage. It seems likely that this is precisely what M. Qavam hoped to achieve by persisting in the appeal while at the same time expressing his desire for a reopening of direct negotiations with Moscow. It should be added that, in the discussions before the Council, M. Vyshinsky showed himself to be a negotiator of outstanding ability.