Svoboda And Dubcek Return To Prague

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31769, 28 August 1968, Page 1

Svoboda And Dubcek Return To Prague

ny.z. Press Association—Copyright)

PRAGUE, August 27. President Ludvik Svoboda and the Communist Party Secretary, Mr Alexander Dubcek, returned to Prague early today from their Moscow negotiations, United Press International reported. Soviet troops all but disappeared from the centre of the city before they returned. United Press International said Soviet bloc troops who occupied Czechoslovakia last Tuesday apparently left central Prague during the night to let Czechoslovaks give their reformist leaders an unfettered welcome.

The arrival of Mr Dubcek and President Svoboda followed official announcements by Soviet news agencies in Moscow that the four days of talks had ended.

Details of the settlement were not announced but Czechoslovak sources said the agreement provided for gradual withdrawal of occupying troops as the Czechoslovaks gave proof they were loyal to the Soviet bloc. Special Curfew Last night the Russians sent more troops and armour into the city and enforced a special curfew with bursts of machine-gun fire. The return of Mr Dubcek, the party ideologist, Mr Jozef Paspavek. the National Assembly President, Mr Jozef Smrkovsky, the Prime Minister, Mr Cernik, the National Front chairman, Mr Frantisek Kriegel, and they Prague city party chief. Mr' Bohumi) Simon, was reported by the Free Prague radio. Tass Report A brief official communique issued by the Soviet news agency Tass, said the Czechoslovak - Russian discussions had ended yesterday but it

did not mention the reported summit between the Prague leaders and the five Warsaw Pact nations.

While confirming that the Czechoslovak leaders had left for home, it did not give any details of the departure ceremony.

When President Svoboda arrived last Friday at the head of a seven-man delegation he was given a massive ceremonial welcome. Later, however, Mr Dubcek, Mr Cernik and other members of the Czechoslovak presidium joined the delegation at the Kremlin talks although they were not recognised by the Russians as being part of it.

Reliable sources said a basic agreement was reached on the eventual withdrawal of the Soviet and other Warsaw Pact troops which invaded Czechoslovakia last week. More Orthodox In exchange, the Prague leaders wolild follow a tighter and more orthodox brand of communism at home, the sources said. The talks between the leaders of the five occupying powers—the Soviet Union, Hungary, Poland, East Germany and Bulgaria followed at least four bilaterial meetings between the Czechoslovak and Soviet leaders The sources said Czechoslovakia’s action programme had

been saved and that all party and Government leaders, even those who, like Mr Dubcek, had been criticised in Moscow as revisionists, would be allowed to remain in their posts. But no-one close to the talks would call it a Czechoslovak victory and it was felt

that while the liberal words might remain, the practice of them would become what it is elsewhere in East, Europe. The sources also said that the Czechoslovaks would have with them a long statement to be read to their people about the Moscow negotiations.