SOVIET TOUR OF INDIA

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27838, 10 December 1955, Page 9

SOVIET TOUR OF INDIA

Two-Day Visit To Kashmir

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) Rec. 10 p.m.)

NEW DELHI, December 9. Russia’s leaders. Marshal Bulganin and Mr Khrushchev, left Jaipur for Srinagar today for a two-day visit to Kashmir. They will return to New Delhi on Sunday. Kashmir officials have said they regarded the visit as recognition of India’s claim to the strategic mountain State.

The friendship between the peoples of India and Russia was a victory for those who desired peace, Marshal Bulganin said at Jaipur today. He and Mr Khrushchev were presented with two flowing turbans and three thunderous cheers when they put them on and folded their hands in Indian fashion.

The Soviet leaders, since their return to India two days ago for the second lap of their tour, have confined their speeches to expressions of goodwill to India and to statements about their desire for peace. Their next major opportunity for speech-making will be a reception tomorrow at Srinagar. On Sunday, on their return from Kashmir, the twd leaders will record a broadcast to be used on All-India Radio after they have left. This again is expected to be an expression of goodwill for India. On the last three days of their tour the leaders will meet Mr Nehru to discuss the joint communique to be issued when they leave. The Russian Deputy-Minister of Iron and Steel (Mr V. B. Khlebnicov) has arrived in New Delhi from Moscow.

He was accompanied by 13 Russian steel experts and he brought a detailed report on the Bhillai steel project which the Indian Government is setting up in collaboration with Russia.