BERLIN CRISIS Russia Offers Passes Deal

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31922, 25 February 1969, Page 17

BERLIN CRISIS Russia Offers Passes Deal

(N.Z.P.A .-Reuter—Copyright) BONN, February 24. Negotiations might begin today on a Soviet proposal which offers a way out of the brewing Berlin crisis.

Bonn Government sources! said talks between the West Berlin city Government and! East Berlin might start on the Soviet suggestion of a passes deal In the divided city. The offer made yesterday to Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger by the Soviet Ambassador (Mr Semyon Tsarapkin) would enable West Berliners to visit relatives in the Communist half of the city. But at the second meeting between the two men in 241 hours, Mr Tsarapkin said the I deal would be made only if Bonn called off the planned. Presidential election in West' Berlin on March 5.

I The Chancellor replied that the suggestion was “encouraging news,” but he added a decision to change the election venue would not be taken until negotiations had produced concrete results. A Government spokesman, Mr Conrad Ahlers, told reporters the Chancellor stressed that he meant lasting and positive arangements enabling Berliners to cross the wall dividing the city.

West Berliners have notj been permitted to visit rela-i tives in the Communist part! since the last passes agreement expired in June, 1966, except in a few special cases. The Russian move on the passes issue—a Berlin question handled up to now exclusively by the East Germans—caused surprise among Bonn officials.

They saw the development as a sign the Kremlin was seeking a way of preventing further increase in tension over Berlin. Meanwhile, informed sources disclosed that Mr Walter Uibricht, the East German Head of State, had also approached the West Germans over a passes agreement.

He wrote to the Foreign Minister (Mr Willy Brandt) on Saturday hinting that an agreement might be possible at Easter if Bonn called off the West Berlin election. Also on Saturday, the Chancellor called in Mr Tsarapkin formally to reject Soviet charges that the election infringed the city’s fourPower status.