At the meeting of the Government held on the 27th instant, the Taoiseach, as Acting Minister for Justice, mentioned informally a request received by the Embassy in London from the Embassy of the USSR in London that entry visas for Ireland be granted to Mr. Vasili Kuchonov, Assistant Military Attaché to the USSR Embassy, and Mr. Igo Babrin, clerk to the Military Attaché. Messrs Kuchonov and Babrin intended to stay in Dublin for a week. The purpose of the proposed visit was to attend the Horse Show of the Royal Dublin Society.

It was agreed informally that the visas requested should not be granted.

I have today returned to Mr. Berry, Dept. of Justice, a note on this matter which the Taoiseach had with him at the meeting on the 27th instant.

Mr. Fay, Dept. of External Affairs, informed me today that his Dept. proposes that the reply to the Russian Embassy in London should be in conciliatory terms. I told him that, while the Government confined themselves to consideration of the substance of the reply, I had no doubt that they would agree that its tone should be conciliatory.