GROMYKO SIGNS PACT IN ROME

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31043, 26 April 1966, Page 17

GROMYKO SIGNS PACT IN ROME

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright) ROME, April 25. The Soviet Foreign Minister, Mr Andrei Gromyko, signed a scientific and technical agreement with Italy on Saturday and visited Saint Peter’s Basilica.

But he did not see Pope Paul. The Vatican will not say whether the Pontiff intends to grant what would be the highest level audience yet to a figure from the Communist world. Mr Gromyko had three days of talks with the Italian foreign Minister, Mr Amintore Fanfani on Italian-Soviet relations and world problems,

and had an hour’s meeting with President Giuseppe Saragat. His last four days of his week’s visit to Italy are being spent privately in Florence and Naples, but there would still be time for him to be received by Pope Paul before departure on Wednesday. Polish Refusal Some Vatican observers, however, believe that the prospects for an audience have diminished after Pope Paul’s expression of regret on Friday—in a letter to Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, of Warsaw—at the Polish Communist authorities’ refusal to allow him to visit Poland. Mr Gromyko started the day by signing with Professor Fanfani the agreement on exchanging scientific, economic and technical information and experts to promote industrial progress in both countries. It is a framework agreement, into which subsequent specific agreements will fit. A mixed commission will be set up to supervise its imple--1 mentation.