Hopeful Signs At N.A.T.O. Talks

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31196, 21 October 1966, Page 11

Hopeful Signs At N.A.T.O. Talks

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright) PARIS, October 20. Hopeful signs for an end to the EastWest deadlock over a treaty to halt the spread of nuclear weapons were reported after a N.A.T.O. permanent council meeting discussed the subject yesterday.

American sources close to N.A.T.O. said the Russians now seemed to understand that a N.A.T.O. nuclear consultations mechanism including West Germany did not constitute proliferation. The Soviet Union has for years claimed that the United States has hindered a nonproliferation agreement by its proposal to give West Germany some form of say in N.A.T.O. nuclear policy. What the American sources called “real discussions” were now going on between the

United States and the Soviet Union on the subject of nonproliferation, they said.

“The Russians are not standing on the rooftops and shouting, but are engaged in serious conversations about the language of a non-prolif-eration treaty,” the sources said.

Both the United States and the Soviet Union were keeping their allies informed. : Yesterday's N.A.T.O. council meeting heard a report from the chief American delegate, Mr Harlan Cleveland, on recent Washington discussions between the Soviet Foreign Minister, Mr Gromyko, and the United States Secretary of State on the non-pro-liferation issue.