RUSSIANS HERALD DE GAULLE’S VISIT

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31090, 20 June 1966, Page 13

RUSSIANS HERALD DE GAULLE’S VISIT

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright) MOSCOW, June 19. An official statement welcoming President de Gaulle on his visit to Russia, which starts tomorrow, was splashed across all the main Russian Sunday newspapers today.

The Soviet news agency, Tass, quoted the statement as saying the French leader was consistently pursuing a line “towards the development of relations with the U.S.S.R. and other socialist countries, the establishment of peaceful cooperation between States of the East and West on the European continent.”

Kremlin leaders would use the visit to propound a “European Europe” doctrine in which they see a steadily lessening role for the United States, said officials today. The 12-dav tour is regarded by Soviet officials as the most important event in their postwar European diplomacy.

Soviet leaders would emphasise Europe and its problems, notably Germany, as the key for East-West easing of tensions, said the officials.

General de Gaulle was almost certain to be asked to endorse a Soviet call for an all-European security conference—according to present Russian thinking, without the United States. The Russians see General de Gaulle's estrangement from his N.A.T.O. allies as a basic element, but they are not sure yet how his “grand design" for Europe can be tied in with their own concepts. Soviet officials admit they are worried that he may have a few surprises to spring himself. Basically, Russian thinking is heavily preoccupied with Europe, and the Kremlin sees the coming months as a time of fluidity and change in concepts stultified by the cold war. The Kremlin regards it as a major triumph that General de Gaulle has chosen to come to Russia at this time. French officials have also talked increasingly of France as a bridge between East and West.

In spite of the big build-up on both sides, most foreign

diplomats regard the visit more as a mutual survey. They doubt that any startling results will be announced when the final communique is issued on July 1. 1914 VISIT

General de Gaulle is the first French Chief-of-State to visit Russia since the Communist revolution. President Raymond Poincare was the last to come, 52 years ago, on the eve of the First World War. General de Gaulle was last in Moscow in 1944 when, as head of the French provisional Government after the liberation of Paris, he had talks with Stalin. The most recurrent theme in the Government-run Soviet press is that France and the Soviet Union, as the biggest powers in Europe, share special responsibilities for the continent's stability and welfare. General de Gaulle, expected to wear French Army uniform for his arrival, will be given a full-scale State welcome at Vnukovo Airport, Moscow, on Monday afternoon. On Thursday, he sets out Son a 5600-mile tour which will . take him first to Russia’s modern “science city” at Novosibirsk, a city still out of 'bounds to many Western visitors, in booming Siberia. I From there he flies to Leningrad, Kiev and Volga ■ grad (formerly Stalingrad), scene of major Second World 'War battles, then back to [Moscow on June 29 for two I final days. He is expected to be given the rare privilege of visiting a rocket-launching site. TV BY SATELLITE French televiewers will watch his progress on films relayed through space by Russia’s communications satellite, Molniya.

Although the formal programme allows only for about 10 hours of talks, General de Gaulle is expected to be accompanied by Mr Kosygin throughout his provincial tour —giving time for many informal discussions which may be even more important than the official round-table sessions. He wall also have at least

one long talk with Mr Leonid Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Communist Party. One man he will almost certainly not meet is Mr Khrushchev, the former Prime Minister who was General de Gaulle's guest in Paris six years ago. Though both sides deny plans for new political treaties, the French leader is expected to announce moves for further scientific, technical and cultural co-operation. Diplomats believe France and Russia are working towards use of each other’s launching pads for space tests. General de Gaulle is expected to make 19 speeches, many of them toasts- at lunches and dinners, French diplomats say that four or five of them could be ranked as important.