The Swiss Government cabled the State Department today the substance of the Bulgarian reply to the American aide memoir protesting the shooting down of the Israel passenger plane 12 days ago.
While the text of the reply has not yet reached Washington, the substance of the note, as reported by the Swiss Government in Bern, indicates that the Bulgarians accepted full responsibility for the incident and expressed regret over it; that measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents will be taken; that those responsible for the incident will be punished; and that compensation to the families of the American victims will be forthcoming.
The American protest, which was sent through the Swiss Charged Affaires who represents American interests in Sofia, was sent 10 days ago. The full text of the Bulgarian reply will not be available here until its arrival, expected within the next few days.
(From London it was reported today that Bulgaria had replied to the British note of protest against the downing of the Israel plane. It is understood that the Bulgarians offered assurances that “due compensation” would be paid to relatives of British subjects killed in the crash.)
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.