**USSR/Russia

I just want to provide an update on something I updated you on earlier this week about documents related to the membership of the Russian Federation in the United Nations.  And I think I was asked by you, Alan, about this, and I think I said at the time that the Office of Legal Affairs had “undertaken a review of its relevant files”.  I was informed this morning that the search is continuing through the paper-based files, and non-digitized files, and that some related documents have been found, including an interoffice memo dated 19 December 1991.  It has been declassified, and I can share it with you if you are interested.  The interoffice memo does not in any way alter the Secretariat position, which is that, in accordance with the UN Charter, the question of UN membership is the responsibility of Member States.  A copy of that document has been provided to the Permanent Mission of Ukraine, as they had so asked.