BERLIN-NEW PHASE

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32788, 13 December 1971, Page 17

BERLIN-NEW PHASE

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter-Copyright) EAST BERLIN, Dec. 12. Negotiators yesterday initialled agreements ensuring unimpeded access to West Berlin, and allowing two million West Berliners to cross into East Berlin and East Germany.

The accords, together with a related pact on an exchange of small areas of territory between West Berlin and East Germany is the completion of toe details of a four-Power agreement- on Berlin concluded in September. Formal signature of the three agreements is expected soon but the over-all Berlin settlement is not expected to come into effect until some time next year, when toe four Powers the United States, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union sign a final protocol. However, there was no immediate sign of the East Germans renewing a good-will offer to open toe wall specially for Christmas visits by West Berliners. A semiofficial newspaper article said that this had been made impossible by the delaying tactics used by toe West Berlin side in toe closing stages of the negotiations.

The transit agreement, the first significant accord between the two German States, is to ensure unhindered passage for civilian and goods traffic on roads, railways, and waterways from West Germany to West Berlin, about 110 miles inside East Germany. It means that motorists will no longer have to undergo searches by East German border officials unless strongly suspected of committing offences. Lorry, rail and water freights will be sealed at the place of departure and will

pass through unopened to their destination. The accord allows West Berliners to spend up to 30 days annually in East Berlin and East Germany. They have been unable to go to East Germany since 1952 and to East Berlin since 1966, except for urgent family business.