Czechs Go To Moscow

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31857, 9 December 1968, Page 15

Czechs Go To Moscow

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copyright) PRAGUE, December 8. A Czechoslovak Communist Party delegation has left for talks in Moscow amid reports that the party chief (Mr Alexander Dubcek) might also go to the Russian capital before next Thursday’s Central Committee meeting in Prague.

The French Communist Party newspaper, “L’Humanite” reports that Mr Dubcek, the Prime Minister (Mr Oldrich Cernik) and the Slovak leader (Mr Gustav Husak) are all planning to visit the Soviet Union. Czechoslovak sources, however, say such a visit, by Mr Dubcek at any rate, would be entirely inconsistent with the party chief’s recently dis-1

closed desire to avoid argument with the Russians over major issues. Thursday’s meeting in Prague is expected to consider what should be salvaged from the Government’s economic reform programme. “We have consulted Soviet comrades so that the conclusions of last month’s plenum should not become a target for new polemics,” Mr Dubcek said recently; and some Czechoslovaks say that such a policy in the past might have averted the Soviet-led invasion, which followed a series of Czechoslovak moves on which Moscow was not consulted.

But Mr Dubcek has indicated that the President’s present policy does not mean blanket acceptance of all Moscow’s moves within his country. He told miners in the North Bohemian town of Most: “We cannot be satisfied with that part of the postinvasion agreement which refers to interference in our in-

ternal affairs, such as the illegal newspaper, 'Zpravy,' and Radio Vltava are now committing.” There has been increasing protest in Czechoslovakia against the continued circulation of Soviet hard-line propaganda by the Russian Army’s “Zpravy” and the Radio Vltava transmitter, believed to be in East Germany.

Although other Czechoslovak officials had said complaints would be made through diplomatic channels, this was the first time Mr Dubcek himself had complained about the propaganda and indicated the matter would be taken up with Moscow.

Another topic for summit talks would be the final withdrawal of Russian troops not remaining indefinitely under the terms of the October 18 agreement between the two countries. December 18 is the deadline for the withdrawal of troops not specified in the agreement as staying.