Kissinger continues Paris talks

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33033, 28 September 1972, Page 17

Kissinger continues Paris talks

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copyright

PARIS, September 27.

Dr Henry Kissinger, President Nixon's foreign policy adviser, will go into a second day of vital talks with North Vietnamese negotiators today, aimed at settling the \ ietnam conflict before United States Presidential elections in N’o\ ember.

Dr Kissinger will again meet with the Hanoi Politburo member, Mr Le Due Tho, and Mr Xuan Thuy, leader of North Vietnam’s delegation to the Paris peace talks on Vietnam, for the nineteenth round of their private negotiations.

Although well-informed sources said yesterday that Dr Kissinger was making an all-out effort to reach a settlement of the war before the November elections, there was absolutely no indication whether progress was being made. But the announcement in New York yesterday that Dr Kissinger was staying over in Paris for more talks today with Mr Tho and Mr Thuy after their discussions yesterday raised hope that an advance may be in the offing. The stumbling block in the negotiations has been who shall be in power in Saigon after the United States finally ends its involvement in the war.

The Communists have proposed a three-segment government which would hold elections for a permanent administration.

This provincial Government of “national concord,” as proposed by the Viet Cong, would be made up of elements of the Viet Cong, the present Saigon Government minus President Nguyen Van Thieu, and other political and religious groups. This proposal has consistently been turned down by the' United States and

-(South Vietnam since it was ’[first produced in July of 1971. tj They see it as an attempt f by the Communists to win • I power in Saigon without an *> election. H Informed sources said. r I however, that the North Viet;'namese were trying to pre,l sent this proposal in a "diffj erent light.”