Council of Foreign Ministers

Council of Foreign Ministers was an organization agreed upon at the Potsdam Conference in 1945 and announced in the Potsdam Agreement.

The Potsdam Agreement specified that the Council would be composed of the Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, China, France, and the United States. It would normally meet in London (at Lancaster House) and the first meeting was to take place no later than 1 September 1945. As the immediate important task, the Council was authorized to draw up treaties of peace with Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland, and to propose settlements of territorial questions outstanding on the termination of the war in Europe. Also the Council should prepare a peace settlement for Germany to be accepted when a "government adequate for the purpose is established".

The Ministers met two times in 1945 first at the London Conference of Foreign Ministers and then in December at the Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers and again at the Paris Conference of Foreign Ministers in 1946.

The London Conferences was marred by a dispute between the Soviet Union and the United States over occupation of Japan and little of substance was accomplished. The Moscow conference was more productive; it was agreed to the preparation of peace treaties with Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland; the creation of an eleven power Far Eastern Commission and a four power Allied Council for Japan. It also agreed to the...
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