Rumanian Leader And Tito Meet

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31768, 27 August 1968, Page 1

Rumanian Leader And Tito Meet

(N.Z.P..A.-Renter —Copyright) BUCHAREST, August 25. Key members of the Rumanian Politburo met today to discuss the situation created by the occupation of Czechoslovakia.

The meeting, believed to be of the standing committee of the Communist Party’s presidium, came after a call by the Soviet Ambassador, Mr A. V. Basov, on President Nicolae Ceausescu.

Rumania and her neighbour, Jugoslavia, have come under fierce Soviet attack for their criticism of the occupation. It was thought that Mr Basov delivered a warning to the President.

Mr Ceausescu yesterday

met President Tito of Jugoslavia at a small border town to discuss the crisis. Western officials interpreted their meeting as a discussion of how far they could risk going in support of the Czechoslovak liberal reformers without bringing Moscow’s wrath on their heads. Mr Ceausescu received a hero’s welcome in Prague 10 days ago when he arrived to sign a treaty of friendship with Czechoslovakia’s liberal Communist leaders. He has strongly condemned the occupation of Czechoslovakia and, in an unusually emotional speech on Wednesday, said Rumania would not allow anyone to violate its territory. Rumania, which shares a long border with the Soviet Union, has given the. Russians less cause for-concern than had Czechoslovakia. JUGOSLAV RESOLUTION The Jugoslav Communist Party has said that he occupation of Czechoslovakia could not be justified by any strategic interest and called for the withdrawal of Warsaw Pact troops and the freeing of detained Czechoslovak leaders. An official resolution adopted after a special session of the Jugoslav Party central committee and published late last night by the official Tanjug news agency said the occupation was not just a mistake. It was the re-

suit of persistent efforts to resolve contradictions and conflicts in the socialist world and maintain outdated relations and institutions by an increasing use of force. Those responsible for the occupation of Czechoslovakia had deepened the rift in the international workers movement and' more particularly in the international Communist movement, the resolution said.

It was encouraging, however, that never before in the history of socialism bad such an act of bureaucratic despotism been so exposed and isolated.

It said Jugoslavia did not recognise the right of anyone to intervene arbitrarily in the internal affairs and development of another country. Western travellers passing through Belgrade today reported seeing columns of Jugoslav troops heading north from the southern Montenegro coastal area and northeast into Serbia.

Unofficial reports said all army leave had been cancelled and troops recalled to their units. There was no official confirmation, but there was a noticeable absence of off-duty soldiers in the capital. The Soviet Union will keep the heat on both Rumania and Jugoslavia to prevent them from stepping too far out of line in the Czech crisis, according to Western diplomatic sources.