Alexei Roshin served in the Soviet Foreign Ministry from the 1940s to 1960s. He recalls his participation in the San Francisco conference of 1946 that established the United Nations, and explains the Soviet position on issues such as whether the big powers should decide by themselves on security matters (the Soviet preference in order to maximize the chances for stability, in his view). Another issue was the Baruch Plan, which he states was not satisfactory to Moscow because it presupposed an American monopoly on nuclear energy for military purposes. Other issues touched upon are China and North Korea in the context of the U.N. Turning to the Test Ban Treaty, he doubts a direct connection with the Cuban missile crisis because some of the talks had begun prior to the crisis. He also denies that military and civilian opinions in the Soviet Union were split over the treaty. He then recalls the atmosphere at the time of its signing, and the sense of achievement it engendered in the USSR.
