272 A Short History of the Middle East
Soviet Embassy in Tehran, which had for several weeks avoided
contact with the previous Prime Minister, promptly paid courtesy
visits to Qavam; and on their invitation he set off for Moscow on
19 February at the head of a carefully-picked mission. While
American and British troops were withdrawn before 2 March, the
day appointed for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from
Persia, the Soviet radio announced on I March, while Qavam was
still negotiating in Moscow, that Russian troops would be with-
drawn 'from those parts of Persia which are undisturbed; those in
other areas would remain pending a clarification of the situation'.
Qavam returned to Persia without reaching any agreement; but on
3 April the Persian delegate informed the Security Council that ten
days previously the Soviet Ambassador had informed the Persian
government that the Red Army would begin its evacuation im-
mediately and complete it in five to six weeks; he had also proposed
a joint Soviet-Persian oil corporation and an autonomous govern-
ment for Azerbaijan. On 5 April an agreement was signed setting
up a joint oil-company in North Persia for a period of fifty years.
For the first twenty-five years Russia was to own 51 per cent, of the
shares, to pay the costs of prospecting and provide the machinery,
and in return receive half the oil. Persia was to be free to dispose of
the other half, but for geographical reasons Russia would be the
most likely buyer. Concessions to other Powers in North Persia
were barred.1 The evacuation of British troops duly began, and an
Azerbaijani mission led by Pishevari arrived in Tehran for talks
with the Persian government. Qavam had meanwhile been sup-
pressing the most actively anti-Russian elements in Persian political
life, threatening in a radio speech to 'destroy them like harmful
insects'. His negotiations with the Azerbaijanis were none the less
difficult, since at the first obstacle that presented itself Tabriz radio
announced a treaty of mutual assistance with the "national govern-
ment* of Persian Kurdistan, where unruly tribes had with Russian
support been in revolt against the central government for some •
years. When a second deadlock was reached, the Persian spokes-
man having informed the Security Council that his government
was unable to confirm the Russian evacuation of Azerbaijan as it
did not exercise;, effective authority there, pressure was again
exerted on it through a Tabriz radio allegation of a Persian armed
attack and the proclamation of a military government in Azer-
1 Times Tehran correspondent, 11 July 1947,