Gromyko and Nixon to meet

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33451, 5 February 1974, Page 13

Gromyko and Nixon to meet

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON. February 4. President Nixon and the Soviet Foreign Minister (Mr Andrei Gromyko) will meet today for talks that could pave the next step towards further agreement in the Middle East. Although Soviet-American relations will be an important focus of their discussions — especially the arms limitation talks which resume later this month in Geneva — it appears certain that the Middle East will be uppermost among Ihe topics on the agenda during Mr Gromyko’s brief visit to Washington.

‘j The Soviet Minister arrived yesterday from Havana [after a six day visit to Cuba 'with the Soviet Communist ;Party leader, Mr Leonid ; Brezhnev. He is expected to leave for Moscow tomorrow night or Wednesday. [ The United States and the[ i Soviet Union are co-1 I chairman of the Middle East; (conference, which began in! Geneva shortly before Christmas and then adjourned while Egvpt and 1sI

rael negotiated the withdrawal of their forces from I along the Suez canal. The United States is; understood to feel that the! conference should be recall-' ed, possibly next month, in. ■the hope of prodding the: (Syrians and Israel into nego-l idating about the separation' (of their forces. I King Hussein of Jordan is due in Washington later this week for talks with Mr Nixon and he will almost certainly be offering his Government’s views on disengagement along Israel’s ■eastern frontier. Sources said that the .United States Secretary' of i State, Dr Henry Kissinger, who played a major role in mediating between the Egyp-, tians and the Israelis last i month, is anxious not to let! the Soviet Union feel it is; being upstaged by the' United States in any peacemaking initiatives in the 1 ' Middle East. But the Nixon administration is equally eager to maintain the momentum of the Israeli-Egyptian agreement. The next major triumph would be an accord ion the more volatile Syrian! | border. Other major topics fori (discussion as outlined by Dr j (Kissinger when Mr Gromyko (arrived, will be the Strategic | Arms Limitation Talks! ’(S.A.L.T.) and European se-j Icurity. President Nixon signed; 'the first partial S.A.L.T.;

- treaty and agreements durding a visit to the Soviet Union in 1972. He hopes to J return to Moscow later this .[year to sign the more em-[ bracing — and possible deci-! sive — second pact. [I There has been speculation that Mr Gromyko, ar- | riving from Havana, might also sound out the United i States Government on whether it is interested in ! restoring relations with Cuba and the Cuban Prime ! Minister, Dr Fidel Castro.